


The Mermaid Beginning

by PerkyGoth14



Category: The Little Mermaid (1989)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-07
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-21 17:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 24,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3701005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's summer vacation, Atticus has been having unusual dreams about being in the water, but not exactly drowning. His family seems to wonder about this, but his mother reveals to him that she is the former Queen Athena's sister and that they are considered royalty and decide to have an adventurous summer vacation in the mythical world of Atlantica.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Darla, Jessica, and Atticus were having time-off from school starting after the final bell today. Each of them were fidgeting in their desks and waiting for the clocks to strike 3:00 so they could go home and start their vacations like their fellow students and classmates.

'Come on, ring already.' Atticus thought.

Darla's pencil danced in her chubby little hand. Jessica's teeth were nearly chattering. The clock still slowly ticked, but it finally struck 3:00 and the school bell rang and their teachers all wished them to have a nice vacation and would see them in a few weeks after their time off.

'Come on.' Atticus thought.

Atticus didn't seem to realize his classmates were already leaving to start their vacation as the bell had already rung. Once he did, he ran out of the class room. Emily and Patrick decided to pick up their children from school instead of having them on the bus to surprise them. The three of them were and they went out to get aboard and then go home.

"This is exciting," Darla beamed as she hooked on her seat-belt. "My first FAMILY VACATION!"

"The same for me." Atticus said.

"You haven't been on one either?" Darla raised an eyebrow.

"We used to travel all the time, but by the time Atticus joined the family, travel's been a little hard." Jessica informed.

"Luckily we could arrange for something to HAPPEN." Patrick smiled as he drove the family off.

"This is so exciting, so where are we going for vacation?" Atticus asked his parents.

"How does the beach sound?" Emily smiled.

"Awesome!" Jessica beamed.

"I haven't been to the beach in forever." Darla sounded delighted.

The mention of the beach brought back a painful memory of when Atticus was really young and he had thought that he was drowning. Patrick drove on ahead to get them home and get them ready for their FAMILY VACATION. They would have to leave early in the morning and spend almost half the day driving over and getting settled. Jessica plugged her music in while Darla was singing to herself, both unaware of how Atticus was doing.

'Beach means ocean, as long as I stay away from the ocean, I'll be okay.' Atticus thought.

The Fudo family got to their home. Emily went to help Jessica and Darla pack and Patrick decided to help Atticus pack up. They wanted to get it over with, then they would have a nice dinner and pack up some things for the trip over such as cold drinks and sandwiches.

"So that's the plan, stay away from the ocean." Atticus said.

"Drowning incident?" Patrick sounded familiar.

"H-How did you know?" Atticus asked out of shock.

"When I was a kid, I surfed with these other kids, they taught me how," Patrick explained with a smile. "Though, on one of my first tries, I kinda fell overboard... Luckily they helped me."

"Th-The same for me I-I thought that I was drowning and decided to never go into the water again." Atticus said. "And yet it feels like the ocean is a part of me."

Patrick hummed. "That's an interesting case... Maybe your mom should check you out for when your sisters go swimming."

"I also keep having these strange dreams I'm underwater, but I'm not drowning." Atticus said while packing.

"Those are dreams though, they're strange things." Patrick replied.

"Yeah, I guess." Atticus said while still packing.

"You boys about ready?" EMILY asked. "I got a nice turkey in the oven."

Patrick chuckled. "Em, we're leaving tomorrow, you didn't have to make anything too fancy."

"Just a little token as our last night at home before we go off into the world, I've always wanted to explore ever since I was a little girl with my cowgirl Jessie doll." Emily chuckled at her thoughts and feelings about this journey.

"Whatever HAPPENED to her?" Atticus asked.

"Who, dear?" Emily looked down to him.

"Your Jessie doll," Atticus asked. "Whatever HAPPENED to your Jessie doll?"

"Well, dear, you see, I was terribly shy when I was a little girl," Emily explained. "I had Jessie a lot and grew up with her like a real best friend, but my mother decided that I should MEET WITH someone my own age. But, our neighborhood was a little lonely since I was the only kid on the block, but then a NEW GIRL moved in and my mother thought it would be good if I played with her instead of Jessie."

"So did you spend less time with Jessie then?" Atticus asked.

"YES, dear, I'm afraid I did," Emily said softly. "Though one time I thought about her one day when my friend had to leave town for a while... It was good to see her AGAIN, but I was growing up... I was going to move out of my parents' house, go to college, and eventually I met your father and, well, you can guess where that led to."

"Yeah, but still, why didn't you keep Jessie?" Atticus asked.

"I'm not sure, sweetie," Emily gently ruffled up his hair. "I loved her and all, but I just didn't think about her as much when I got older and started my own family. But I named your sister Jessica after her."

"That's cool." Atticus said.

"I think I remember," Patrick spoke up. "Your parents left the house and you were gonna move in with me. You put all your stuff in a box and you were gonna show me your old doll."

Emily looked to him and thought. "That's right... I must've accidentally put her in that old storage box without even realizing it..."

"That does sound possible." Atticus said.

"Well, I'm sure she's fine." Emily shrugged with a smile.

"Mama, can you come here, please?" a FEMALE voice called.

"Coming!" Emily smiled, loving to hear Darla refer to her as her mother. "Excuse me, boys..." She then left the room to allow Atticus and Patrick to finish packing.

"I think I might go for a swim at when we get to the ocean." Atticus said as he was finishing his packing.

"You sure?" Patrick asked as he clicked Atticus's suitcase shut.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Atticus said.

"I hope you have a good time." Patrick put his hand on Atticus's shoulder gently.


	2. Chapter 2

After a while, the family sat down to dinner and there were cookies for dessert. Darla, her old greedy self breaking out, wanted the cookies already and she wanted to eat all of them. Atticus understood because, well, kids always wanted desert first. 

"Darlene, remember what we told you." Emily said softly.

Darla sighed, restraining herself from the desserts. "I never had to eat anything else that wasn't loaded with sugar back when I was in Hollywood."

Through the whole entire dinner, the whole family seemed to enjoy the entire meal.

"Be sure to go to bed early, guys, we're leaving pretty early tomorrow morning." Patrick advised the family.

Everyone agreed that they would all go to bed early so that they all would be ready for tomorrow. Everyone slept well. Darla hugged her pillow as she still slept and lightly snored, really not wanting to wake up so early. Atticus was dreaming of the same dream that has had every night.

In the dream, Atticus was able to swim and breath underwater and where it was all so amazing and then came morning when his father came in to wake him up.

"Morning, Dad," Atticus said as he woke up. "Today's the day." He said as he got up.

"Yeah, hope you're ready." Patrick smiled down at Atticus.

"Yeah, me too and I think I'm going to be ready to get over my fear of the water or even the ocean." Atticus said as he was now getting ready, while humming a song Patrick knew which was Queen Athena who was Ariel's mother.

Patrick smiled. Emily got Jessica and Darla up and ready to go. Atticus even began to sing athena's song while getting ready and which this surprised both Patrick and Emily, after all, Atticus was just a baby when it happened.

"Do you think he knows?" Emily whispered.

"How could he?" Patrick whispered back. "It's impossible..."

"Mom, Dad, isn't that the same song that Aunt Athena sang to the girls every night before they went to sleep?" Jessica whispered to her parents, remembering that day.

Atticus was now even dancing while singing it. The song was now bringing back memories of Athena to Patrick, Emily, and Jessica, especially the day upon her death and where this was too much for Emily since she was Athena's sister.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Atticus asked after he stopped singing to see his mother crying.

Emily buried her face in her hands, tears dripping. "I have allergies..." she sniffled, though lying.

Darla looked up at her adoptive mother. "Mama, what's wrong?"

Patrick held Emily's hands gently and wiped her face a little. "Darling, we must tell him..."

"Do you think he's ready?" Emily asked her husband and elder daughter.

Darla of course didn't know either, she was just recently adopted into this family.

"Tell me what?" Atticus asked his parents.

"I-I just can't..." Emily kept crying.

Patrick held her, trying to soothe her. "It'll be alright, Emily..."

Emily sniffled, trying to settle down. "Okay, just wait one moment..." she said softly, then went to get a quick drink of water to swallow the hard and sad lump in her throat. This was very emotional for her.

Atticus was confused of why his mother was suddenly sad and also what did they have to tell him? He began to think how this began this all began of when atticus sang that song but he couldn't remember where he heard it from.


	3. Chapter 3

Emily decided to sit with Atticus and explain this to him.

"Darla, why don't you go and color?" Patrick gently took the youngest girl out of the room.

Jessica nodded, she then wondered if she should stay with her mother and brother or not.

"Jessica, you stay." Emily said.

Jessica nodded, doing that, she knew the thing after all.

Emily watched her daughter sit, then looked at Atticus. "Okay... I think I'm ready..." she said softly.

Atticus was hoping that he was going to be punished.

"Now, Atticus, I've been meaning to talk to these dreams with you for sometime," Emily started, knowing about Atticus and his ocean relation. "Have you been taught about the one called Queen Athena in school?"

"Wasn't she QUEEN OF THE Mermaids?" Atticus asked her.

"YES..." Emily nodded. "But she also had a sister who actually lived on land..."

Jessica nodded in agreement to show this wasn't being made up.

"Her sister had the special wish to come true to live as a human without horrible consequences," Emily CONTINUED. "Athena's sister missed her very much, especially after her death..."

"Was she there when it HAPPENED?" Atticus asked.

"Sadly no," Jessica spoke up. "She was still at home for a while, her new human home... She decided to move and was going to also move on with her life and gave up her old things to charity."

"Even if one of those things was one of her favorite dolls who was basically her best friend in early childhood," Emily added. "It's very hard to lose a family member, especially a sibling... She was given a trinket though to remember by and allowed to visit whenever the time would be right..." She then dug into her pocket and took out a necklace with a golden and shining shell ATTACHED to it.

"I-I-Is that it?" Atticus asked, fearing of WANTING TO KNOW the truth. He pointed to the necklace while asking. 

"Yes..." Emily slowly nodded, she then opened it up and showed a shining glow and vision of the legendary Atlantica with merpeople happily swimming about the GOLDEN PALACE of King Triton.

This was shocking to Atticus.

"S-So then that must mean that you were..." He said while looking at his mother.

"Yes, Atticus," Emily whispered. "I was a sister to Queen Athena... You are her nephew and you have merman bloodlines."

"I can't believe this," Atticus said while holding his head. "Wait, then why haven't we ever you know gone to Antlantica for a visit?"

"Because, I was long overdue for my powers to be brought back," Emily explained quietly. "I was pregnant with Jessica when I heard about the death of my sister. I couldn't just leave her and your father... I was indeed sad, but I grew so ATTACHED to the man I married and the family I was going to have, I just decided to stay... I had heard from Sebastian though that Triton had banned music of any kind since Athena loved music more than anything. Your cousin Ariel takes a lot after her."

"Wow, really?" Atticus asked.

"Yes..." Emily allowed Atticus to hold the charm. "I wasn't sure when you would be ready... I even missed Ariel's wedding to a human, Prince Eric..."

Jessica gently hugged her mother, patting her on the back.

"I wish there was someway that we could meet them." Atticus said.

"There is, darling..." EMILY NODDED, she gestured to her necklace.

"You know how Mom tells me not TO PLAY with her necklace or wear it if I have a date?" Jessica added, asking her brother, she had known about this too, but it was never exactly explained why she wasn't allowed to have anything to do with it.

"Wait, are you saying that your necklace is magical?" Atticus asked his mother.

"Yes..." Emily replied softly. "It can take us back in the time BEFORE AND AFTER my sister had perished... I was waiting for the right time to take us all to go there. Now might be good... It will also make us into merpeople in order to be back under water... I hadn't touched the ocean in years since I heard about the birth of my first niece, Attina." 

"She's the oldest one." Jessica informed her brother.

"Cool, wait, do all of Ariel's sister's names BEGIN with A?" Atticus asked.

"It's just a thing with her and Triton." Emily shrugged. 

"I never understood that." Jessica added.

"I think I saw them in one of my dreams." Atticus said as he went to get his drawings.

Emily and Jessica waited for Atticus in the kitchen. Darla was coloring on the various papers as she lay on the living room floor, crossing and uncrossing her legs over and over. Atticus CONTINUED searching for his drawings and then brought them with him to his mother and Jessica.


	4. Chapter 4

"I found them I found the drawings of my dreams." Atticus said as he ran into the kitchen to show them.

Emily took it. "This is Attina... She's the oldest and she's supposed to have the kingdom after Triton and Athena... I think she's supposed to have a suitor."

"Because she's the oldest?" Jessica asked.

"Yes, that's why she has the crown." Emily nodded.

They began to look through each of the drawings and then they got to a few pages that looked like they told of the day of Athena's death before and after. Emily's eyes quickly filled with tears again, she was now unable to hold her smile any longer, she took the drawing of Athena and hugged it tight as she started to cry again. 

Jessica held her mother with a sympathetic smile. "Mom, it's okay..."

Emily sniffled. "I should've been there..."

"Wait, that drawing that you're hugging was Aunt Athena?" Atticus asked. "I've had that dream almost every night before I had the dream of me as a merboy I could even hear the sounds and voices and music of it all."

They saw that Atticus was also in the scene as a baby, especially next to the music box to stop it from falling while getting scratched by one of the hooks and then they looked to the scar Atticus had on his right leg. Emily hugged the picture, even if it was a crayon drawing, it was technically the only thing she had left of Athena. 

Darla came in, then looked up to Patrick. "So, are you a merman too, Daddy?"

That question surprised him especially one asked from his adopted daughter.

"I think I was there when it happened." Atticus guessed.

"I don't really remember too much..." Emily replied.

"I remember all the laughter and the music before the ship came and before Aunt Athena's death."Atticus said while dancing around as if he was listening to music being played.

"Oh, I miss her so much..." Emily whispered with tears leaking down her face.

Darla thought of something. "Mama, maybe we can go back in time using your necklace for our vacation instead?"

Emily blinked, she then gently put her hand over the necklace, not yet activating it. "Oh, I-I don't know..." she sounded very hesitant about that.

"Please, Mom, please?" Atticus asked her, hoping it would help cheer her up.

Emily wiped her drooping eyes. "What do you think?" She asked her husband.

Jessica looked to their father.

"It might be good for you," Patrick soothed. "Plus we'll still be in the water in a way you think about it... And Darla needs to learn more about her new family since she's no longer a Dimple."

"Uh, my last name actually wasn't Dimple," Darla smiled sheepishly. "Since LB Mammoth kinda adopted me, I became Darlene Mammoth, but he wanted something cute in my name and since I have prized dimples, I became Darla Dimple."

"Oh...Well, that makes sense." Atticus said.

"Interesting..." Patrick never knew that.

"I didn't like that name Mammoth anyway, besides, who wants to watch an adorable movie about a girl named 'Darla Mammoth'?" Darla nearly scoffed, remembering her adoption to LB back when she was an orphan with nothing.

Jessica looked to her mother. "So what do you think, Mom? Can we go back to meet Aunt Athena?"

Emily wiped her eyes, she took another drink of water and heaved a sharp sigh. "Well... It would be nice to go back under the sea..." Her necklace opened up and the spirit of Athena appeared.


	5. Chapter 5

Emily made it so they could go to Atlantica in the older times of merpeople back when Queen Athena was still about. It wouldn't be too long then until the next and final sister would have been born, of COURSE, Ariel. Darla was surprised with the changes, her bow was replaced by a glossy pink seashell to match her heart-shaped shell bra with a glittering white and pink tail. She wasn't sure about this at first, but everyone assured her it would be alright. 

There was a young, yet still a bit old male on the beaches, he was very pale and had slick black hair, wearing a blue overcoat and sticking his feet into the water, unaware of this timeline going to be slightly altered.

'I hope nothing goes wrong.' Atticus thought.

There was a big glow coming into the beach and the family dropped into the water, though their heads were still above.

The elder male looked ahead as he had his feet soaking in the water, he could have sworn he saw something odd, but did see the family in the distance. "What's all that then...?"

"There's someone over there staring at us..." Jessica glanced at the figure not too far from them.

"Who is that?" Atticus asked.

Emily looked ahead. "I'm not sure..."

Darla tilted her head. "Should we go see?"

Patrick looked protective for his family. "If he tries anything, I'll stop him."

"Maybe we should go and look around." Atticus suggested.

The family decided to see the peculiar, unknown man.

"Are you folks in any kind of danger?" the man asked.

"N-No, we're fine..." Darla said nervously, she was a little nervous since she actually didn't know how to SWIM.

"Oh, that's good, I thought maybe you crashed a boat or something..." the man looked relieved then.

"No, we didn't, why?" Atticus asked the man.

"We're just new around here." Jessica said to the man.

'I hope that we ARRIVED at the right timeline.' Atticus thought.

"Well, I hope you enjoy your swim," the man smiled. 

"FORTE, GET BACK HERE!" a sharp male voice called out.

The man looked over. "I am coming!" he called, then looked to the family. "Excuse moi... Enjoy your swim..." He got up, then dried his legs and feet to get his shoes back on and get back to work.

'Forte??' Atticus thought CONFUSINGLY.

"Come on, everyone," Emily told her family. "Let's go down."

The Fudo family didn't even need to hold their breaths as they would be merpeople now and they were SWIMMING with the others. Atticus trailed a little behind since he was left with his thoughts as they went along.

'I didn't know that Forte was here in this timeline. And where did I hear Aunt Athena's song from?' Atticus thought.

Emily looked up to see THE SHINING palace of her sister and brother-in-law's home. "Wow... It's even more beautiful than I remember..."

Patrick smiled and held his wife.

Darla looked around. "This feels like a dream!"

"Only it isn't." Jessica smiled down to her.

There were young mermaids coming out from the palace, seeming to be in a rush over something. Triton came out with his wife, he looked much younger and had brown hair as opposed to the white everyone would see him in, but other than that, he still looked like his old self.

"How are you holding up?" Triton asked frantically.

"I'll be fine," the MERMAID QUEEN replied with a chuckle. "You seem to be more worried and anxious than me or the girls right now, honey."

Atticus came out from his thoughts as he hurried up to his family and then looked at the palace and all of the merpeople there, but the ones that caught his attention were Athena, Triton, and their DAUGHTERS, but mostly Athena.

"How long, Mom?" one of the girls pouted.

"It's been forever!" another cried out.

Athena chuckled, she didn't notice the family coming yet because of her squabbling daughters. "Now, now, your new brother or sister will be here soon..."

"She's right, it won't be long now." the brown-haired one with the crown sort of bragged, she would know since she was the oldest, Attina.

'Yep that must be Attina.' Atticus thought. Something then came to him. "Wait, Mom, look how many daughters Aunt Athena and Uncle Triton have." He whispered to his mother.

"Ariel hasn't been born yet." Emily whispered back to her son. 

Athena looked up happily to her husband, then looked ahead. "Emily?"

Emily looked back, she tried so hard not to cry. "Athena..." she said, her voice CRACKING though.

"Go on, Mom." Atticus urges his mother. 'I know how you feel, Mom.' he thought he knew exactly how his mother felt, even though he didn't know his family until he was reunited with them he knew that she had missed Athena dearly.

Emily smiled softly to her family.

"Emily, what are you doing here?" Athena came to her long-lost sister. "It's been too long..."

"I-I just wanted to visit..." Emily covered up with a smile. "I really missed you too."

The six mermaid sisters rushed over, eager to see this mermaid woman they were not familiar with.

Atticus was so happy for his mother as was Jessica, Darla, and their dad. Emily and Athena shared a hug.

"Who are your friends?" Athena asked with a smile.

Emily wasn't sure whether to tell her the truth or not. She looked to them where she saw each of them NOD.

'Tell her the truth, Mom.' Atticus thought.

"It's a long story, Athena..." Emily whispered. "It's me, but not really..."

"What?" Athena didn't really understand.

"We're from the future, Aunt Athena," Jessica explained. "Mom just wanted to see you and lately, Atticus has been having these dreams..."

"Aunt Athena?" the MERMAID QUEEN questioned. "I'm an aunt and these are your kids?"

"Yes," Emily smiled. "Patrick and I got married and we had Jessica and Atticus." 

"I was adopted!" Darla chirped.

"Yeah." Atticus said.

"You never told me..." Athena smiled softly.

"I kinda wanted to surprise you..." Emily smiled nervously. 

The mermaid girls went to examine their cousins.

"I never had a cousin before!" the white-haired sister named Arista commented.

"I hope I can find a man like you someday, Aunt Emily..." the sister named Adella gushed as she caught a glimpse of her Uncle Patrick.

"Well, maybe, someday you will in the future." Atticus said to Adella. The other sisters rolled their eyes as Adella just looked boy crazy as usual.

"I like your hair," Aquata smiled as she played with Darla's curls. 

"Oh, thank you..." Darla smiled sheepishly.

"She reminds me of me when I was little." Adrianna, the blonde one, added.

"How so?" Atticus asked her.

"Well she's blonde and pretty." Adrianna smiled.

Darla gushed, feeling like her former self, only wasn't being selfish this time. Jessica looked around for Ariel, but didn't find her, but she noticed Athena touching her stomach. 

"I'm the youngest too." Adrianna told Darla. "Well... Not for long then again..." she glanced back to her pregnant mother.

"I'm sure you're all going to be great big sisters to your baby brother or sister." Atticus said, not wanting to give too much away.

"I know I will..." Attina sort of bragged AGAIN.

Jessica rolled her eyes, but smiled at the oldest of Triton's daughters.

"Thank you for that, Atticus, I'm sure they will too." Athena smiled to her nephew. She then nearly doubled over.

Triton came. "Athena, is everything alright?"

Athena gulped and gripped her stomach slightly. "I think it's time, dear..."

"Wait, Aunt Athena, you think it's time for the baby to be born?" Atticus asked her, hoping that he was right.

Athena gulped and nodded. "I think it's true this time..."

"Excuse me, I must go with her," Triton said to the family.

"C-Could I come too?" Emily asked. "I'd love to meet my new niece and nephew of COURSE."

Patrick nodded.

"Alright, you two can come, Jessica, Atticus, Darla, stay with the girls." Triton told them, he didn't want them to be right there by the time Ariel would be born into the world and wanted to wait until she was born so they could see her then and not witness Athena giving birth.

"Yes, sir." Atticus said, saluting.

Athena, Patrick, Emily, and Triton went inside. This was a historical moment now, Ariel was ready to be born.

"You guys wanna play?" Aquata asked. "I know lots of games!"

"No, let's talk about boys!" Adella insisted.

"We can always play in my band." Arista suggested.

"We should pick flowers." Alana said her favorite acitivity.

"What do you think we should do, Attina?" Darla asked.

"Well... I actually like history," Attina smiled. "I read about a lot of the mermaids and mermen who came before Mom and Dad..."

"I think that would be good for us to learn if you don't mind." Jessica suggested.

Attina shrugged with a smile. "Only if you all want to."

"Well, it would keep us busy." Atticus said.

"Okay, come with me..." Attina swam to show them the library, her favorite room of their castle.


	6. Chapter 6

Darla, Jessica, and Atticus followed and looked around as they went.

"Mom was always interested in humans, I think Aunt Emily is too... Would you guys happen to know anything about that?" Attina looked back at her cousins and incoming sisters.

"Yeah me, Jessica, and Darla do know somethings about humans and their things." Atticus said, while following her.

"That's pretty cool, must be hard for them to get around on those... Things... What are they called?" Attina thought.

"Feet?" Jessica asked.

"Yeah, those, how can they swim with those things?" Attina asked, making her cousins laugh a little. She then smiled as she came up to a history book and carried it to show them. "Come here, guys..." She cracked THE BOOK open to show them her favorite history book on sea culture. "It was around this time that Evil Manta came into our world..."

"Evil Manta?" Darla asked. 

"Oh, yes..." Attina NODDED with warning. "He's a very dastardly manta ray who hates anyone who gets in his way..."

"I bet he doesn't look that tough." Atticus said, sounding tough.

"He can summon lightning and bring storms to the seas," Attina said to Atticus. "It's because of him the land people suffer from hurricanes. They usually blame it on Daddy..."

"They always do..." Arista sighed as her tail was swinging back and forth forth as she lay beside them.

"Who's that?" Darla pointed to the next page.

Attina looked. "Those are Ursula and Morgana... Morgana isn't as bad as Ursula, but she's a sea witch... She lives far away and we are always told to stay away from her. She can give you anything you would ever want, but there's always a price to pay. I hope she gets defeated soon."

"I also hope our new brother or sister learns to stay away from her." Adella added.

"Well, if I ever face the Evil Manta, I'd teach him a thing or two. I mean, come on, how scary could he really look?" Atticus asked.

Attina showed him a PICTURE OF THE humanoid, villainous manta ray with glowing red eyes a dark black cape, and looked like an underwater version of the devil.

"Gee!" Darla flinched. "Looks worse than Max when I first found him!" 

"I wonder whatever happened to that Max guy..." Jessica muttered to herself, she knew it wasn't on topic, but she couldn't help but think of it once Darla BROUGHT up her former butler.

"He used to give me nightmares..." Adrianna murmured about Evil Manta.

"He does look scary, but sometimes, you have to face fear and to me, this guy just looks like an underwater version of a beefcake, basically someone who is all brawn and no brain." Atticus said.

"We wouldn't know... We just have to be very careful..." Adella advised.

Attina smiled, then turned THE PAGE. "And here's Grandpa Neptune!"

Darla was confused. "I thought Neptune was a planet...?"

Attina giggled, not mocking the girl, but found that funny. "It is, Darla, but Neptune was also what they called Grandpa... Before Daddy took over, Grandpa was in charge of the sea with his queen."

"I never understood of why they named a planet after him." Atticus said.

"Well, Grandpa was like Daddy," Attina shrugged with a smile. "Strong... Powerful... They probably thought a planet was worth having the name like Mars after THE ROMAN warrior."

"Could be... Guess we'll never know..." Jessica smiled.

"Ugh," Adrianna was getting bored. "What's taking Mom and Dad so long?"

"PATIENCE, Adrianna, we all had to wait sometime or another... You took almost forever." Attina giggled to her currently youngest sister.

"Did not..." Adrianna rolled her eyes.

"Did so!" the other four sisters said to her.

'Here we go.' Atticus thought while smiling.

The sisters argued.

Attina rolled her eyes. "Children..." she muttered, feeling like a second mother due to being the oldest.

"Tell me about it." Jessica chuckled.

It didn't take too long, Patrick came in, finally. 

"Hello, everyone." Patrick smiled.

Everyone looked over to him with a smile.

"What HAPPENED?" Darla asked, excitedly. 

"Athena's had the baby," Patrick smiled. "It's a girl."

"Not surprised..." Attina wasn't as excited about that as everyone else.

"Now I'm an older sister!" Adrianna cheered for herself.

"Can we see her?" Atticus asked.

"Of COURSE..." Patrick smiled, he took Darla's hand.

Athena was in her clam-shaped bed with a bundle wrapped in a purple blanket as Emily and Triton were on her sides. She looked over with a smile to them and allowed them to come in and meet the newest addition of the family. "Hello, everyone..."

"Is it really a girl?" Adrianna was thrilled.

Athena giggled. "I never doubted it for a second..."

Emily was so happy she could share this moment with her sister since she couldn't the last time. Atticus was so excited to meet Ariel as a baby. When everyone came CLOSE enough, Athena turned the baby over slightly and gently pulled back the blankets. The baby mermaid looked over with her sky blue eyes and red hued hair, nearly resembling her mother more than her older sisters and had a small newborn smile. 

"Everyone, this is Ariel." Athena told them with a smile.

Emily sniffled, she couldn't have tears though since they were underwater, but she was so happy. She was actually here to witness the birth this time.

"She's so adorable." Darla said.

"I wanna have kids someday." Jessica smiled.

Patrick and Emily hugged their kids. Triton and Athena's daughters waved and greeted Ariel for her to get to know them as her older sisters.

"Hey, Ariel," Adrianna smiled. "I'm your big sister!"

"So is everyone else here." Alana laughed.

Adrianna glanced to her. Ariel smiled, she quietly cooed to everyone.

"Hard to believe in just a short time, she'll be talking and singing..." Triton smiled, even if he had another daughter with no sons like he wanted since before Attina was born, he was proud to have a new addition to their family.

'Don't worry, Uncle Triton, I have a feeling that in the future, you'll get a son.' Atticus thought.

Athena had to rest now with Ariel a while. In about an hour, Athena went out with Triton for them to meet the new baby.

"Emily, you seem so attached to me..." Athena said to her sister.

"I-I'm sorry, Athena... I just missed you so much since I decided to live away for a while..." Emily insisted, not wanting to scare Athena with her incoming and accidental death. 

Athena smiled to her. "Emily, I'll be fine... Don't worry about me."

'Mom's just worried about Aunt Athena's incoming and accidental death.' Atticus thought.

Athena and Triton smiled as the mer-folk came to meet the new baby, Ariel. 

"She looks so much like you!" a chubby mermaid beamed to the Queen.

"She'll make a wonderful Queen when she grows up." a merman agreed.

Athena smiled. "Thank you... I hope she does."

'I know that she will be a good mother.' Atticus thought while smiling at Ariel.

"She'll be talking in a few short weeks," Attina explained to her youngest sister and Darla. "Then she'll learn how to sing like the rest of us. Can you sing, Darla?"

"I've been singing since I was four." Darla gave a nod, but for a different reason.

"Yep, it's true." Atticus said.

"Could you sing for us?" Arista asked.

Darla blinked, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh, I-I don't know... I know a lot of songs, but... Really?"

Her new mermaid cousins begged her to sing.

"Go ahead, dear..." Jessica whispered to her adoptive sister.

Darla gulped, she then took a deep breath. She sang the song that won her into becoming LB Mammoth's prodigy and becoming America's Sweetheart, Lover of Children and Animals. As she sang, a few fish, octopi and other sea creatures came to even listen to her.

'Her singing this time sounds beautiful as ever.' Atticus thought while smiling.

Darla finished her song. "Come and make me your big bright star, Mr. Hollywood Producer!~" she finished the song on a long note like she did with her Big and Loud song for Danny back in Hollywood, then finished with a smile with her eyes closed , then was surprised of the cheering and looked around to see she had a bigger audience and she smiled sheepishly. "G-Gee... I-I didn't think I relaly had it in me..."

"You should be in concerts, kid!" a fish swam up to her in admiration.

Darla giggled, she hugged the fish, not caring that it was 'slimy' in her opinion, but she didn't seem to mind this time and grew to love animals like she was supposed to. Jessica smiled down to Atticus.

Athena swam over with her husband, sister, and brother-in-law. "Ariel needs a nap... You're all welcome to come in, we're going to have an exotic dinner to celebrate." She smiled to the kids, then swam inside her castle with the others.

"We'd love to." Emily said.

"It's settled." Triton smiled.


	7. Chapter 7

Athena let Ariel down for a nap when she decided to spend a little more time with Emily while the kids kept playing together. 

"It's good to see you AGAIN, Emily," Athena smiled to her sister. "I wasn't sure when I'd ever see you again."

"I felt the same way, Athena." Emily said to her sister.

Athena smiled. "I love my family and all, but it hasn't been the same since you left... Where did you go?"

"I left to live the life of a human with Mom and Dad." Emily said.

"Oh, Emily... Why didn't you tell me?" Athena showed she wasn't angry or sad, but just curious.

"I just didn't want to cause any TROUBLE." Emily said.

"You would never cause TROUBLE... I know you wouldn't..." Athena soothed with a smile.

Emily tried to find the right way to say that she only didn't tell her because of how Triton felt about humans, but didn't want to upset her. 

"Mama, dinner's READY." Alana swam in.

Athena smiled. "THANK YOU, sweetie... Come on, Emily, you all must be famished." She said to her sister, then swam with her daughter for them all to start eating, she hummed the song that was in Atticus's dreams. She even heard her nephew humming her song while swimming to dinner.

Athena smiled, she even started to sing with him once they were going to sit to dinner with everyone. Triton was the most pleased, he loved Athena's singing voice, it even won her his heart. Atticus was surprised that his aunt didn't ask where he heard her song from, but didn't show it.

"You're very talented." Athena smiled to her nephew, she just assumed maybe Emily told him about it, not aware of THE DREAMS.

Darla couldn't help but stare at the food served to her, it didn't look like anything she had ever seen on a plate. "Um, what is this...?"

"Slug puppies and fishsicles." the sisters told her like it was obvious.

"We're, uh, not use to eating seafood, but I guess it's something we'll try to get use to." Atticus said.

"I'm sure it'll be delicious if you try it." Athena encouraged.

"Darla, we're always telling you to try new foods." Patrick added.

Darla looked disgusted, she took a tiny bite of one and slowly chewed, disgusted, but she then smiled and ate more. It was actually better than it looked and tasted awesome to her. 

"Isn't this better than eating cake and candy all the time?" Jessica smiled.

"Lots!" Darla gushed.

Atticus tried the seafood next and started to liking the food at once. "Delicious." He said.

Emily and Patrick smiled to their children.

"Thanks." Jessica beamed.

Athena and Triton's daughters kept eating their dinner, happily. Except for Ariel, she was too young to eat right now and had to be put to bed when it was dinner time and take naps after she would have lunch.

"I bet Ariel gets to be exactly like you, Aunt Athena." Atticus said.

"She might..." Athena smiled. "I think she looks a lot like me."

"She really does..." Triton smiled, holding his wife's arm. "I know she'll grow up to be beautiful like you."

"What about me?" Adella asked as she looked at her reflection on her clean plate.

"You're all beautiful like YOUR MOTHER." Triton smiled to his six other daughters.

"So TRUE." Atticus said.

The girls smiled. Everyone then happily ate their feast to celebrate Ariel's birth. Athena then left when she heard the cries of her youngest and swam over to fetch the baby of the family. Atticus then went to go and see if he could help.


	8. Chapter 8

Athena came into the nursery with the conch shell-shaped crib. Ariel cried a little bit, but cooed with a smile once her mother reached for her to be held.

"Hi, sweetie..." Athena smiled at her new baby girl.

Atticus looked through the door while trying not to be seen until it would be great time to come in and see if he can help. Athena cooed and quietly soothed her youngest daughter.

Ariel smiled to her mother and looked over her mother's shoulder to see her cousin, Atticus. She kept the smile. Atticus smiled and waved at her, not knowing if it caught any attention. Ariel looked to Atticus and cooed to him.

Athena looked over and smiled to the boy. "Oh, hello there, Atticus."

"Hi, Aunt Athena, I just wanted to come and see if there was anything I could do to help." Atticus said.

"Hmm..." Athena was thinking. "Well... Do you know any stories maybe Ariel could listen to?"

"Yeah, I know some stories." Atticus said.

"Maybe you'd like to tell Ariel one." Athena said with a smile.

Ariel didn't speak since she was a newborn, but she seemed to had nodded in agreement with that. Atticus told Ariel the story of his and Cherry's adventures in Cinderella. Ariel smiled as she was gripping onto every word, but her eyes began to feel heavy. She let out a cute yawn as soon as the first story finished and she leaned against her mother, falling asleep.

Athena smiled as she saw this, then went to gently put Ariel back down to bed and tuck her in, then looked back to Atticus. "Thank you so much..." she whispered, really grateful.

"You're welcome." Atticus whispered.

Athena put in a little fish toy to keep Ariel 'company' while she would sleep, then the two left the room.

"Is she gonna cry all the time?" Adrianna asked.

"All babies cry, even guppies cry." Arista told her younger sister.

"I remember when Alana cried, I didn't think I'd ever get back to sleep," Attina seemed to be bragging since she was the oldest again. "But I settled around when Adella and Aquata showed up..."

Darla rolled her eyes slightly, was she like this when she was a darling celebrity?

"Atticus was the same as a baby." Jessica said.

"I wonder if I was... I don't remember hearing complaining about me though..." Darla shrugged.

"Were you an only child before you were adopted?" Adrianna asked.

"Sorta..." Darla rubbed her arm. "I shared a room with nine other girls when I was in the orphanage."  
"And I thought six sisters was a handful!" Attina sounded surprised.

"Yeah." Her sisters agreed.

"It's true what that girl Annie said, it's a Hard Knock Life." Darla phrased.

Athena came by with Atticus.

"How's Ariel, Mama?" Adrianna asked with a smile, she was still excited that she got to be an older sister for a change.

"Fine, sleeping." Athena replied with a soft smile.

"Yeah, after I told her a bedtime story." Atticus said.

"Atticus always has interesting stories." Darla said.

Athena smiled. "Alright, why don't you all go play until the sun goes down to the surface?"

The girls giggled and went up to go swimming elsewhere.

Athena sighed. "They all grow up so fast..."

Emily still sniffled, but loved this time she got to spend with Athena.


	9. Chapter 9

Atticus swum towards an area where there were boulders and rocks and began to exercise, he would like to go and play, but that was going to be for another time for right now, he was going to exercise even in his merboy form. There was the younger Forte from before, but he was with a boy who looked around the age of a toddler and had a patch of raven hair and had sky blue eyes. Neither of them noticed the merpeople who were in the ocean. Jessica, Darla, and Ariel's sisters played with Atticus until it would get too late. Boulders were now being placed onto Atticus's back while he did push-up and handstand at the same time.  
"Wow, Atticus sure is strong." Adella said while admiring her male cousin.

"I never knew anyone so strong before..." Aquata was impressed.

"Not like Daddy or Grandpa Neptune." Arista nodded in agreement.

They were now surprised as Atticus let the boulders crush him only for all of the boulders to be lifted up by one hand.

"Was he always that strong?" Alana asked.

"I didn't know he was that strong honestly." Jessica shrugged.

"I've been exercising every single day, of course, I limit myself with when I go and play and when I go and exercise." Atticus said while holding the boulders with his right hand, without struggling or having any trouble keeping it up.

The mermaid girls smiled.

"I didn't know that." Darla said.

"I'm almost always at the gym, exercising." Atticus explained.

The kids had fun all the way until the sun was setting which made the land people go off to their homes before it got too late and time for young merboys and mergirls to get some sleep.

"Looks like it's time to head inside." Atticus said before he throws the boulders, not knowing they would be thrown out and across the OCEAN.

"Come on then." Jessica stated.

"Come on, I'll lead the way." Attina offered to for her younger sisters and cousins.

The boulder splashed back into the ocean and hits someone's head while he was sleeping, it was the Evil Manta. 

There was grumbling heard and piercing red eyes were waking up in sheer anger. "Alright, who did that?" he demanded.

Jessica held Darla CLOSE. The mermaid sisters stopped as they saw Manta had been awaken.

"You can't hurt us, our ancestor Poseidon will protect us!" Adrianna glared at him. 

"Poseidon?" Manta taunted with a laugh. "He got mad all over a prized Pegasus taken from Odysseus!" He was now tossing the boulder up and down on his one hand, but, of course, to him it seemed like just a rock in his hand. Manta glared down at Atticus. "You have woken me!" he pointed sharply to the new merboy. 

"Hey, leave my brother alone!" Darla got defensive.

"Who's this, your little souffle bodyguard?" Manta taunted the way how Darla was cutsey and pudgy.

'Uh-oh, that's the same boulder I threw out of the ocean.' Atticus thought.

Manta grabbed Atticus and dangled him. "I should smite you for this!"

"Leave us alone! Listen, I'm sorry I woke you up, I didn't even know the boulder was going to be heading towards you." Atticus apologized.

"Well now you know..." Manta grinned darkly. "Maybe old Ursula could take care of you for me!" 

The mermaid sisters begged and pleaded for him to let Atticus go and cause no more TROUBLE.

"Please, sir, please let my brother go, please," Jessica begged him. "I promise that he won't cause you anymore TROUBLE."

"NO MERCY!" Manta boomed, his voice nearly SHAKING the sea.


	10. Chapter 10

"Where are the kids?" Patrick mumbled.

"I sense trouble..." Triton grabbed his trident, anxious to go see what was holding up the kids.

"I hope they aren't hurt..." Athena put her hands to her mouth.

"Please, please, let Atticus go, please." Jessica begged once more.

"I don't think so, little misses..." Manta just laughed as he kept Atticus as a hostage. "He must pay for his foolishness!"

"Evil Manta!" Triton came over with a glare. "Refuse that merboy this instant!"

"No, I don't think I will..." Manta taunted with a sick, evil grin.

Jessica began to try to help Atticus out of Evil Manta's grip. 

"Manta..." Triton's trident began to glow with his incoming anger.

Manta sighed. "Oh, very well..." he got bored and threw Atticus back to Jessica and Darla. "This is a warning, next time, I'm having him for lunch!" He then went back to where he came from.

Triton made sure Atticus was okay, then looked to his daughters. "I believe I told you all not to go anywhere near that or near Ursula's place..." he told them firmly.

"He came to us, Daddy!" Alana cried.

"Yeah, yeah, we didn't mean to come here!" Adrianna and Arista added.

"I-It was my fault, I woke him up from his sleep." Atticus said, confessing and explained of what happened.  
"You have to be very careful around the OCEAN, Atticus," Triton nearly scolded, but wasn't very harsh with the boy since he wasn't his father. "Evil Manta could've seriously hurt you, he's determined to take over the ocean and the land world with it, he won't just stop with our world."

"Yes, sir, I understand," Atticus said he then saw his father swimming up to him and where it was the same look Triton had. "*gulps* Hi, Dad..." he said nervously.

"We were worried." Patrick told Atticus as Emily nodded.

"You could've been hurt or worse..." 

"He's very lucky Evil Manta went easy on him." Triton added.

"So, am I in trouble then?" Atticus asked his parents.

Patrick looked firm, but Emily looked soft, they looked to each other, wondering whether they should punish him or not. He really didn't do anything wrong, but he could have been hurt if Manta wasn't so generous in that one moment. 

"I think you ought to go easy on him," Athena suggested. "He's new around here and so are you all..."

Emily bowed her head. "She's right..."

Patrick nodded, then looked back to Atticus. "Just be a lot more careful next time, okay?"

"Yes, sir." Atticus said.

"Good..." Patrick smiled then.

"Come here, Atticus, we have a good room for you, your sisters and parents to sleep in," Athena smiled to her nephew. "I think we should have a grand party and invite everyone to meet Ariel."

Triton smiled down. "You always have the best ideas, love."

'She sure does seem to come up with great ideas.' Atticus thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Darla was enjoying her swimming ability more than Atticus, Jessica, Emily, or Patrick, mostly because she never knew how to SWIM TO BEGIN with. 

"Darla, stop that, we have to go to bed now." Jessica told her adoptive sister.

"Oh, just a little bit longer..." Darla did a backstroke above the bed she was ASSIGNED to, but swam back against Emily.

"You heard your sister, Darla, it's bedtime..." Emily caught Darla, going to send her to sleep like everyone else.

"YOUR MOTHER is right." Patrick said.

"Aww..." Darla whined.

"You'll thank me later," Emily giggled, tucking Darla in, taking the hair bow out like the girl did every night before going to bed. "Just think, we'll have loads of fun tomorrow..." she then sounded sad, knowing what would happen, and found herself about to cry again.

"Mom, it'll be alright..." Jessica soothed. "We're all here for you."

"I know... But why is fate so cruel...?" Emily couldn't help herself.

"Sometimes fate can be a cruel thing." Atticus said.

Emily sniffled a little as Patrick held her.

"It'll be alright, Emily..." Patrick soothed. "I promise..." 

Emily managed to calm herself down and got some sleep like everyone else. Everyone was now fast asleep. Even though she was struggling because of what would eventually happen to Athena, Emily slept fine. She just hoped everyone would have fun and this wouldn't ruin her mood at the celebration tomorrow morning. Tomorrow was going to be a day no one would forget.

The next day, Triton and Athena invited any merfolk and sea creatures who wanted to come meet Ariel to come over, but after the family would spend some of the day together on land, at this time, Triton didn't seem to mind land culture, just so they wouldn't be caught or hunted. He had a SPECIAL GIFT for his Queen too while the girls would play with Atticus, Jessica, and Darla. And where it would be something that would show her exactly how much he loved her. 

The other merpeople just spent today like it was the best of their lives as Triton gave Athena a shell charm with music inside of it. Not just any music, it was their song. Triton smiled as he stroked his true love's face and she smiled, looking back to him with her lime-green eyes, feeling to be the happiest mermaid to live. And where this was a lovely moment they had together with everyone including Emily, Patrick, Atticus, Jessica, and Darla.

It was a magical day for all. Merpeople played their instruments, exposing their gift of song to the world. Emily and Patrick were joining in with the music, playing songs they never knew they could play. The seven sisters came from behind the rocks to 'spy' on their parents. Atticus, Jessica, and Darla joined them. The kids giggled a bit as Triton was about to share a kiss with his Queen. Triton noticed them, then told Athena to keep quiet, then he dove into the water for a swim and decided TO PLAY with the girls. The girls all went down with Jessica, Atticus, and Darla, except for Adella, who was pulled back with them to hide behind the rock with their giggles. 

Triton then came behind them and carried all of his daughters on his arms, except for Arista, who was on his head, but they all laughed at the little surprise. Athena laughed, enjoying seeing her loving family at play. The girls giggled once they all landed back into the ocean and Triton took a ride with them on his back. Atticus, Jessica and Darla joined in by swimming around and each playing an instrument.

"Atticus, you remind me of a younger Peter Pan." Athena smiled down to her nephew. 

"You knew Peter Pan?" Darla asked.

"Before I met Triton, I was with my friends in Mermaid Lagoon back in Never Land." Athena explained with a smile.

"Cool, I never knew you FRIENDS WITH the mermaids in Mermaid Lagoon back in Never Land." Atticus said, amazed.

"I don't see them much anymore," Athena smiled. "I'm sure they're happy though... I simply chose to grow up once I fell in love with Triton and he fell in love with me..."

Darla noticed a darkness in THE CLOUDS and pointed. "Hey, what's that?"

All the merpeople looked in alarm as they saw THE CLOUDS changed and a ship was coming to the ocean. It was a pirate ship!

"GO!" Triton commanded to his people. 

"Oh, no, this is it!" Emily cried. She wanted to save her sister's life, she needed to in her heart.

'I have to do something to make up for what happened yesterday and also so then Mom can be happy living.' Atticus thought.

"Athena!" Emily cried.

Athena saw everyone going into the ocean and she was about to join them, but saw poor Attina had her tail stuck against the rocks. Athena moved them for her oldest daughter and saw her MUSIC BOX from Triton. She couldn't leave that for the pirates.

"Athena, don't!" Emily wanted to save her sister and swam quickly for her, knowing what was going to happen.

Atticus swam to the music box and where he made it before his mother or his aunt got to it for their safety, especially for Athena's safety. THE SHIP was coming closer and Athena was about to go down with them.

"ATHENA!!!" Emily yelled, she couldn't leave her sister to let what happen to her happen.

"Aunt Athena! Mom! I got it! Let's get out of here!" Atticus called out to them.

"But what about Athena?" Emily found herself in tears again.

Athena was doing her best to hurry over to her family before she might get crushed against the rocks and THE SHIP. She seemed to had made it before it was too late.

"Oh no." Atticus said before rushing over to the ship.

Once he got to the ship he placed the music box next to Athena and then pushed the ship off his aunt with all his strength sending the ship and all the pirates flying on the ocean backwards.

Athena covered her eyes as she expected to be killed, then looked over. "Huh?"

The pirates were alarmed by that. Emily couldn't bear to look, she thought Athena was crushed like she was supposed to be. Athena then grabbed the music box.

"Mom, OPEN YOUR EYES, Aunt Athena is alive, I saved her." Atticus said to his mother while keeping the pirates ship away.

"Huh?" Emily opened her eyes and look. "A-Athena... Y-You're alive..."

"Of course I am," Athena smiled. "Why wouldn't I be? Atticus saved my life."

"Quick, get back with the others." Atticus said.

One of the pirates came out and brought out a cannon and aimed it towards Atticus.

Athena saw the cannon ball coming. "ATTICUS, LOOK OUT!" she yelled, then swam over to get him out of the way as they were all on their way back under the sea into safety on the ocean floor.

Triton looked and saw that his wife wasn't with them under the ocean and neither were Emily or Atticus. He then looked around to see where they were and looked up. 

"Athena!" Emily yelped.

Patrick heard that and decided to quickly go to his wife as she cried endlessly. He held her as Emily kept bawling, she was glad Athena saved Atticus, but couldn't save her own life. 

"Athena?" Triton called for his wife and looked to see that the queen was no longer with them. He saw the only thing left was the music box, making him very sad and angry, mostly angry with humans. They killed his wife.

"No... Th-This can't be happening..." Atticus whispered.

Triton held the music box close, he was so angered and depressed, he threw it against the surface, to be nearly gone forever. From that moment on, the king's heart became dark and music was banned from Atlantica. Forever. Atticus and his family were sad that they couldn't stop the death from happening.

"That was nice of you to save Aunt Athena, Atticus... Unfortunately it still cost her life..." Darla moped, she actually sounded sad than when she pretended to be sad for Max scaring Danny, Atticus, and Cherry back in Hollywood.

Jessica gently stroked her adoptive sister's hair. "At least Mom got to see her..."

Emily looked miserable. "I guess we ought to return home..."

"I can't rule this ocean alone," Triton spoke up to his family. "I need someone to help."

"Can you remarry?" Patrick asked.

"I could never replace Athena like that, but the girls do need someone to act as a second mother to them and help me take over Atlantica like I'm destined to," Triton replied. "But who?" 

Evil Manta came over, he looked wicked and menacing as always. "I think I know someone..."

"Mom, how about we stay, please." Atticus asked.

"I could help..." Emily said wearily. 

Patrick put his arm around his wife. "Don't worry, dear... We'll get through this."

Darla looked ahead and saw the obviously evil sea creature. "Hi, Manta..." she snarled to him.

"What do you want?" Jessica added.

"I only ask to offer services, I know of a mermaid who can solve the ruling in the ocean and help look after the daughters of Triton," Manta insisted. "I promise, it will help, she only wishes to be a governess and not New Queen of the Sea."

"Right..." Darla was in disbelief.

"Really, you can trust her... The thing is, we've been together lately..." Manta grinned darkly. 

Triton didn't trust Manta, but he needed this for his kingdom and his girls. "Who did you have in mind?"

"Her name is Marina del Rey," Manta smiled as he said her name. "She's not Octopids like Morgana, Ursula and their clan, trust me..."

This Marina del Rey did sound like she wouldn't be Ursula or Morgana and Triton could use the extra help, not already the extra help he was going to get from Patrick or Emily.

"If she's not an Octopid, what is she?" Jessica asked.

"She's a mermaid, she'll fit right in," Manta insisted. "And I won't hurt any one of you ever again."

Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista, Adrianna, and Ariel hid behind their father, they were still afraid of Evil Manta for being, well, evil. 

"How can we trust you?" Triton demanded.

"Look, I'm sorry I threatened to eat the boy, but I promise that Marina and I can help you all out and keep Atlantica in line, even if there's no more music to be celebrated." Manta grinned then.

This made the seven sisters, Jessica, Atticus and Darla gasp. Even though Atticus, Jessica, and Darla and their parents already knew that law was bound to happen.

"Well, Triton... I'm waiting." Manta smirked, folding his arms.

Triton looked to the evil creature of the sea and sighed. "Very well, Manta... But no tricks?"

"I promise, Marina and I will be on our best behavior." Manta grinned.

Triton bowed his head. "Only if you two will help."

"We will," Manta promised, no one could tell if he was serious or not due to him being a villain. "Marina can also help Emily cope with the loss of her sister."

Emily tried not to cry just then. Patrick began to comfort his wife. Atticus didn't trust Manta, but didn't want to cause any problems for his uncle. 

"Very well... Send Marina in by tomorrow... The girls need their sleep now..." Triton sighed, he had no other choice.

Manta grinned darkly before getting himself home. "Pleasure doin' business with ya, Triton..." he chuckled and went off into the darkness.

"Aunt Emily, is Daddy really gonna let Evil Manta look after us...?" Attina asked, very worried.

Emily picked her up, sighing softly. "It appears so, my dear..."

"But the Evil Manta is so evil." Adrianna said

"We know, dears, but it's for the best, plus he promised to help with Marina." Patrick tried to calm them all down.

Ariel buried her face against Jessica's tail.

"Don't worry, Ariel, we'll help you." Jessica soothed the youngest sister.

"Yeah." Atticus said to ariel.

Ariel's face snuffled up, but she trusted her cousins more than Manta. She came to Atticus, Jessica, and Darla, smiling and hugging them.

Darla smiled and hugged her back. "It's okay..."

Manta swam back to where he used to live and found the purple mermaid he had been talking about before. "It's all set, Marina, we're all good for coming over by tomorrow." He told the mermaid he seemed to be lusting for.

"Great, I'll finally be able to get the job that I was meant for," Marina said. "Benjamin! Come here!"

A green manatee came over as commanded by the seemingly nice mermaid.

"How would you like to live in the palace of Antlantica?" Marina asked the manatee, knowing that if she was going to be the governess this meant she was going to be living in the palace.

Benjamin felt worthy and swam a flip, chuckling and clapping.

Marina pet him, then looked to Evil Manta. "It's official, right?"

"Oh, yes, very much so," Evil Manta grinned. "You just have to keep Triton's daughters in line..."

"I'll deal with the pain of their nagging." Marina said.

"You would make a wonderful mother..." Manta kind of grinned darkly, he wanted a child of his own to help him take over the ocean, but never got around to it due to almost everyone being terrified of him around here. 

"That would be nice if Marina was a mother!" Benjamin smiled, he was more nice than Marina or Evil Manta put together. "Could I be the godfather?"

Marina glanced at him and shoved him over slightly. "I'm not having children yet! I just have to 'take care' of these little girls because of their lack of mother..."

"Oh, by the way, did you feed them?" Marina asked the manatee. She was asking Benjamin if he had fed her electric eel pets which were carnivorous.

"Y-Yes, ma'am..." Benjamin replied, a little nervously, he didn't really like Marina's eels.

"Good," Marina said. "Well, we better start packing."

"Right," Manta grinned. "This are finally going to look up!"

Benjamin smiled, even if this was wrong in his mind, but he was happy because his 'friends' were happy.


	12. Chapter 12

It didn't take too long until the girls would start growing and Ariel would BE ABLE TO speak like her sisters and other creatures in the sea. And where Atticus, Jessica, and Darla and their parents would soon have to try to endure Marina and Manta. Marina and Evil Manta came to meet Atticus, Jessica, Darla, Patrick, and Emily.

"So, Athena was your sister?" Marina asked the adult FEMALE.

"Yes..." Emily sighed. "We were really CLOSE in Mermaid Lagoon before I decided to start a new life for myself outside of Never Land..."

"I'm sooo sorry about your loss," Marina told her with sadness, but it looked as though she smiled when she said that. "Manty and I will take care of everything, you won't have to worry."

Darla WRINKLED her nose at Marina, already sensing something bad in her. Atticus already didn't like her he could sense that she was evil as Manta. Triton allowed Evil Manta and Marina into his HOME. The girls woke up a little early and spied on the new residents in their home.

"This isn't fair!" Arista growled. "They just wanna take over Atlantica, I know it!"

"They might help us, you don't know..." Alana spoke up.

"No way they would, you saw what he almost did to Atticus!" Adrianna folded her arms, glaring with a huff.

"Come on, girls, try to give them a chance, besides he promised no tricks." Attina told them.

"Whatever, I still don't trust anyone named 'Evil' Manta..." Arista scoffed.

Ariel wasn't sure who to side with, but since Attina was the oldest, she came CLOSER to that sister and smiled.

"I think only Ariel believes you, Attina." Adella pointed out.

"Ariel's a baby, she'll follow anyone," Aquata scoffed. "I know Adrianna did." 

Adrianna glanced to her for that, giving a dirty look.

"What? You did." Aquata said to Adrianna.

"You all follow each other," Attina said to her sisters. "Alana followed me after she was born, then Adella followed her, Aquata followed Arista... Arista followed Aquata, then Adrianna followed Aquata, and now Ariel follows Adrianna... It's the Circle of Siblings, if we had another little sister, she'd follow Ariel. Ariel just knows who's boss around here."

"Oh, and that's you?" Arista came over.

Jessica came to her cousins. "Will you girls stop fighting? It's not making this situation any better!"

"Jessica's right." Darla said.

"I just don't like the idea of sharing my home with Evil Manta and that crazy merlady..." Attina glared as she glanced to Marina.

"You and me both, cuz." Atticus said.

The girls went back to bed to catch up on sleep a little while longer.

Marina peeked into the room and went to wake up the girls. It was earlier than they had to though and she removed Aquata's pillow. "Rise and shine!"

"Why so early?" Aquata moaned as she clutched her Mr. Fuzzfinkle doll.

"But it's still dark out!" Arista cried as she still had her seaweed sleep mask on.

"Yeah, we're not usually woken up while it's still dark out." Adella said.

Benjamind removed Arista's mask to show her that it wasn't dark as she thought it was. "Wakey-Wakey!"

"I'm dreaming about a boy..." Adella buried her face in her PILLOW as she smiled in her sleep.

"Come on, girls!" Marina refused to let them sleep in.

"But I need my beauty sleep..." Alana said as she had cucumbers on her eyes.

"Tell us about it..." Adrianna muttered.

While Marina settled the girls, Emily and Patrick got their kids awake.

"Why so early, Mama?" Darla pouted.

"It's what Marina wants, dear..." Emily tried to soothe.

"Oh great her." Atticus said while stretching as he got up.

Atticus and his family were now older as were the seven sisters. The seven sisters were now teenagers as were Atticus and Darla and where Jessica was also a teenager only a little older. 

Darla looked in the mirror and gasped. "Jinkies, I've become a hormonal adolescent!"

"Did you just say jinkies?" Jessica teased her adoptive sister.

"This is serious," Darla glanced at her. "I'm not cute and adorable anymore, LOOK AT ME!" She gestured to herself, no longer having curls or a bow, but had wavy blonde hair with a pink headband that had a shell in it. 

"Merpeople age quicker than normal people, dear, you'll be fine." Patrick soothed.

"And besides when we return to the present, we'll return to our ORIGINAL ages." Jessica said.

"Oh... Okay..." Darla shrugged. "I still don't like it very much."

"You'll be fine." Emily smiled to her adoptive daughter.

"I don't SEE what the big fuss is though, it's the same as every day, but Marina makes it sound like some big hullabaloo." Darla rolled her eyes.

Jessica looked into the mirror to get ready, Atticus did the same, even though he didn't like what Marina at all the same went for Manta.

Emily did Darla's hair like she did every morning at home. "We'll all adjust... Besides, Marina's told everyone that looking after the girls is what she LIVES for."

"I think she just wants a promotion." Patrick murmured.

Manta came in to see. "Ah, you're all awake... How pleasant..." 

"Good morning." Jessica didn't mean it.

"I hope you all JOIN the girls to meet with their father..." Manta reminded them.

"Yeah, we will, like we always do." Atticus said.

"Let's keep it that way, shall we?" Manta grinned, and looked directly to Emily. "You look good as always."

Emily looked annoyed. "Thank you, Manta..."

"I also see where your elder daughter gets it." Manta grinned to Jessica.

"Get out of here before I'll make you go like the Titanic." Jessica shook her fist to him.

"Sassy reply from a little sea daisy." Manta chuckled, then went off as told.

"Oh, brother." Atticus whispered.

"Is he hitting on me?" Jessica asked, disgusted.

"I don't wish to have any nieces and nephews from you..." Darla winced, a little disgusted.

"Oh, stop that..." Emily slightly scolded. "Are you all ready?"

Patrick looked to them and they seemed fine to him.

"We're ready, Mom." Atticus said.

"Let's go then." Emily said to her family.

Triton's seven daughters were budging against each other as they were on their way to meet their father with their cousins as instructed. Jessica, Darla, and Atticus joined the girls as soon as they saw them. The sisters got in a line arranged by their age, Attina first and Ariel last. Jessica did the same, putting Atticus between her and Darla. 

"Good morning, family." Triton greeted from his throne.

"Good morning, Father." the girls greeted.

"Good morning, Uncle Triton." Atticus, Jessica, and Darla said.

"Marina..." Triton looked to his new governess.

"Good morning, Your Majesty!" Marina grew animated. 

Manta came to her side and noticed the crab. "Sebastian..."

"You're both late." Sebastian said, while having his eyes half-closed and looking at Manta and Marina.

Marina smiled calmly, then looked to the girls with a deep scowl.

"Zip it or you'll be in a salad." Manta growled to Sebastian.

The crab was afraid of him, but settled himself for Triton. "Your Majesty..."

Triton looked ahead. "I presume you've all been attending your royal duties with your cousins, aunt, and uncle visiting." 

"Yes, Father," Attina swam in front of him with a boastful smile. "We've been working diligently."

"And have got them done early." Atticus and Ariel said in unison.

Attina glanced at them, but smiled innocently.

"And the coral is in bloom." Ariel continued, making her sisters wish she and Atticus would 'clam it' right now.

Atticus hoped that Triton would agree.

"Atticus and I were thinking that we could go for a swim on the reef?" Ariel asked with a sweet smile.

Triton sighed, he didn't want to be mean, but he told her, "Not today, Ariel."

"It only happens once a year... It could be fun." Ariel smiled with a small giggle.

Adrianna, Alana, and Adella looked to each other, actually hoping that would be good, it sounded like a nice idea.

"I don't have time." Triton still declined.

Jessica was hoping that Atticus wasn't going make it worse.

"But we do the same routine everyday." Atticus said.

"Yeah, we could skip the morning walk." Ariel added.

"You two, your father/uncle said no!" Sebastian snapped. 

Ariel hung her head and went back to her sisters.

"Way to go, guys." Darla glanced to Atticus and Ariel.

"Yeah way to go." Jessica glanced to Atticus and Ariel as well.

"Be on time tomorrow." Sebastian mocked Marina and Manta as he went off with the king.

Marina scoffed. "Let's move it!" she told the sisters.

"Okay, we're coming..." Adella slightly rolled her eyes.

"Time to go." Adrianna mumbled.

"Great..." Attina scoffed, following.

Ariel looked back sadly and followed her father and sisters. Atticus did the same as he and his family joined them on the morning walk. The mermaids and mermen of the sea smiled as they saw the royal family coming by. 

A few were afraid of Manta, knowing how he was, but they kept respect for King Triton's sake. Ariel looked lost, she played with some kelp as they walked. The boy crazy sister Adella found an admirer and looked her best to him as she passed the 'cute one' with a golden tail fin and a shark tooth necklace. Atticus was the same as Ariel as they both now had seaweed and where the seaweed were ticklish and looked to Adella and Jessica as they both were trying to look cute for two teenage merboys and tickled Adella and Jessica from behind.

Adella slightly over reacted though and screamed out as she flinched. Adrianna hid a laugh at that with Darla. The merboys looked a little put off by Jessica and Adella. Adella and Jessica glared at Atticus and Ariel, knowing that they tickled them. Adella and Jessica then chased Atticus and Ariel among the crowd. The morning walk became fun now. Triton walked with Sebastian, Patrick, and Emily, unaware of what was going on with the four running off.

And where Jessica, Adella, Ariel, and Atticus laughing while running. And where of course Marina and Manta noticed the four running around. Luckily, Triton, Sebastian, Patrick, or Emily didn't notice.

Marina looked to them and looked nervous. "Get up!" she whispered loudly to them.

"Cukoo." Adrianna mocked Marina while Arista laughed.

"You better get up, guys." Darla whispered to them with a smile.

All the girls had smiles on their faces now along with Atticus and Ariel. Marina swam to the king's side with Manta as the girls got up, trying to act as though nothing had happened.

"That will be all, Sebastian, Marina, Manta..." Triton told the assistants. "Good day, girls."

"Goodbye, Father..." the sisters said together.

"Jessica, Darla, go hang out with your cousins." Patrick told his daughters.

The girls went to split up and Atticus was about to join them.

"Atticus, Ariel," Emily stopped them.

Atticus and ariel flinched as their names were said.

"Yes, mother/aunt?" Atticus and Ariel said.

"He sounds grumpier than yesterday." Arista whispered to Adrianna.

"Time to go." Adrianna pulled her and swam off.

"We know what you two did." Emily said to her son and niece.

"A princess does not tickle another princess with seaweed," Triton scolded Ariel in specific. "And Atticus, I am surprised you encouraged it."

"Oh you saw that?" Atticus asked nervously.

Triton raised a brow to them.

"We were just trying to have some fun..." Ariel explained simply. 

"You both disrupted your sisters." Triton said to them.

"Well, they laughed..." Ariel shrugged.

"Well, I didn't." Triton retorted.

"But everyday is the same routine and nothing ever changes." Atticus said.

"Enough!" Triton blared, making Emily jolt a little. "You both have to respect the way I run this kingdom," he then took out a couple of underwater cleaning tools. "Barnacles."

"What?" Ariel gasped. "They'll take all day!"

"You both better get started then." Triton commanded.

"Triton, maybe that's a little too much..." Emily spoke up to her brother-in-law.

Ariel glared at her father, then stormed off with her duster. Atticus joined her with his duster.

"Don't worry, Ariel, with my strength those barnacles will be pulled faster than you think with the both of us working together." Atticus said to her.

She remembered this.

"I guess... Why is Daddy so stuffy lately though?" Ariel sighed as she went with her cousin.

Atticus would have told his cousin about why her father was like this, but he decided to let her find out at a later time.


	13. Chapter 13

Meanwhile at Marina's and Manta's place in the palace... The reason why Manta had to be in the same room with Marina is because they didn't have anymore rooms available. Benjamin was feeding the eels, very nervously.

"This job is killing me!" Marina lay against the couch she was given. "If we have to watch over these spoiled princesses one more day, I'm gonna beach myself!"

"Mm-hmm." Benjamin put his flipper in Marina's hand as he was going to give her a manicure to relax her.

"And those nieces and nephew of his!" Marina groaned. "You should've heard that little claw boy Sebastian today!" 

"'You're late'." Manta imitated Sebastian for Marina as he held an egg. 

Marina rolled her forest green eyes. "If Triton wasn't looking with those in-laws of his, I would've squashed that crustacean into a crab cake!"

"Mm-hmm." Benjamin nodded as he CONTINUED.

"Maybe I'm just too sensitive?" Marina asked.

"Dip." Benjamin told her as he noticed her hand was sticking out from the bowl.

"I think you are just fine, my dear, that shellfish has no idea what he's talking about." Manta soothed Marina the best he could, he was only truly nice to her over anyone else in the ocean.

"Thank you, Manta. Benjamin, did you feed them today?" Marina asked.

"Yep, twice." Benjamin answered honestly as he CONTINUED to file her nails.

"And the key?" Manta prompted the manatee.

Benjamin lifted his neck to show the golden key was hidden under his back folds where no one would think to find it.

"And how's the egg?" Marina asked Manta.

"Seems fine so far," Manta grinned as he looked down to their egg as he gently STROKED it. "I can't wait for him to meet you."

Marina agreed, but then got irritated. "I despise Sebastian! I hate him I loathe him. I need that job I deserve that job." she said while angry.

"Never heard that one..." Benjamin mumbled.

"How did that little invertebrate get to be chief of staff!?" Marina went on. 

Manta made Benjamin hold onto the egg and RUBBED Marina's back as she ranted.

"Nobody is perfect." Benjamin told Marina.

"That's right, Benjamin," Marina grinned. "Nobody's perfect! Everyone makes mistakes... Even him!"

Manta smiled, he liked to see her this way. 

"Oh, my..." Benjamin looked a little worried.

Benjamin looked for colors to paint Marina's nails with. "Sardine Silver?"

"No thanks." Marina replied.

"Orange Roughy?"

"Not in the mood."

"Rainbow Trout?"

"Just paint them the shade of clarified butter!" Marina exploded as she sang about destroying Sebastian.

Manta began to join in.

"So much for my SAMPLES." Benjamin murmured as Marina and Manta went to the eel door.

Marina was now going through her wigs and clothes, that's right, people, Marina is bald. 

"Hello world, it's Marina Del Rey!" Manta cheered encouragingly. 

"That's right, three names." Benjamin commented.

"Yeah, sing it, baby!" Manta cheered.

Marina beamed, then went over to her closet after putting a swirly blue wig on her head, then she opened up her wardrobe to find the perfect outfit. She threw them all out against Benjamin, who was sort of forced to carry them for her. She tried on many of them as Manta and Benjamin cheered for her. She then took off the wig and placed the wig she was wearing before back on. She set back down on THE LOUNGE chair as she held her and Manta's egg. "Sebastian's bound to make a mistake, right?" 

"Not likely." Benjamin answered honestly.

"Dream killer!" Manta whacked him SLIGHTLY.

"Yeah!" Marina said as she kept rubbing the egg and dipped her other hand.

Manta smiled as he looked at their little evil egg. He stroked it and felt some VIBRATION inside of it. "He must feel his mother's wrath as well as his father's..." he grinned darkly.


	14. Chapter 14

Meanwhile, Atticus and Ariel were just beginning on their punishment. Ariel grunted, but she finally got one barnacle loose that she had been struggling with since they started. She groaned as she had a lot more to go, but at least Atticus was helping. 

A familiar yellow and blue fish was swimming around. "Live from the Catfish Club, it's Flounder!" he cheered, then mocked a crowd for himself to cheer.

Atticus began to pull off more barnacles and where they were easy for him with his strength as one to two barnacles came off. 'Sheesh, how many barnacles are there?' he thought.

Flounder kept swimming and having fun with the bubbles.

Ariel got bored and came to the fish. "Hey, was that what I think it was?"

Flounder got scared since he had made music and it was forbidden. "What?"

"That sound." Ariel pointed.

"Oh, that sound... I-I was just cleaning these out..." Flounder smiled nervously.

Atticus joined ariel.

"Yeah that sound." Atticus said. "Could you do it again?"

"Please?" Ariel begged the fish. 

Before Flounder could do anything, a couple of swordfish came to his sides, looking menacing like police officers.

"Halt, you are in violation of King Triton's acts!" one of the fish snapped. 

"All music is forbidden in the kingdom!" the other added fiercely. 

"Not good..." Flounder was nervous, then grabbed Ariel and Atticus's hands. "SWIM!" He swam quickly with them to avoid the swordfish.

Atticus and Ariel joined him trying to avoid and escape the swordfish.

The swordfish tried to gain on them, not seeming to care Ariel was and Atticus technically was royalty. There was prickly coral coming up, but Flounder knew how to get by it swiftly, though Ariel and Atticus had trouble with it. The swordfish simply crashed through it. They even went through a cavern, but Flounder got caught in the hole, again, and struggled to get himself out.

"Fish launch!" Atticus and Ariel called out as the swordfish were now getting closer and the two cousins used their tail fins to launch flounder out of the hole.

Flounder squeaked once he got out and smiled up to Ariel and Atticus when they came out the bigger hole and they continued their escape. The swordfish came out from the sides, then spotted their victims, swimming after them to Atlantica's kingdom. 

"My name's Flounder!" the yellow fish introduced himself.

"I'm Ariel." the mermaid princess said to their new friend.

"And I'm Atticus." her cousin added, saying to their new friend.

Flounder smiled to his new friends.

Ariel looked ahead and saw an angry Sebastian. "Oh, no!" she cried, trying to stop herself. 

Sebastian gasped, but Ariel stopped and her hair flopped onto him as he tried to duck for cover.

'Oh, no, why did he have to be out here now?' Atticus thought while looking at Sebastian.

"Princess Ariel!" Sebastian got himself sorted out. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Princess?" Flounder didn't know Ariel was a princess. 

Ariel smiled to them nervously. "Um, we weren't doing anything!"

"Yeah." Atticus said.

"Then Prince Atticus, why were you four swimming so fast?" Sebastian asked.

"Prince?" Flounder didn't know Atticus was a prince either.

"Um, because we were being chased." Atticus said.

The swordfish came to report what happened to Sebastian.

"We heard music, Chief." one swordfish explained.

Sebastian shrieked. "Music!? The prince and princess were making music!?"

"They weren't making music, he was..." the swordfish pointed sharply to Flounder, hiding in Ariel's hair.

And where this made Flounder very nervous as he knew that he was in trouble now.

"Music is against the law!" Sebastian snapped. "Take him to the dungeon!"

"I can't make it in the slammer!" Flounder cried.

"Wait, this is all a big misunderstanding!" Ariel decided she couldn't let one of her new friends punished just for being himself. "Huge... We're all gonna laugh about it once I explain..."

"Yeah, it is totally funny," Atticus joined. "And so we shall now explain..."

"In this century please..." Sebastian grew impatient.

"Right... See, we were just cleaning the coral tubes too," Ariel made this up as she went along. "And um, our friend here was helping us."

"That's right," Flounder smiled nervously, even if he had just met these two. "Best friend helpin' out!"

"But, not making any music whatsoever." Atticus said, smiling nervously.

"Uh-huh." Flounder nodded in agreement.

"See?" Ariel smiled innocently.

Sebastian glanced at them, he knew that was all made up. "Guards, escort the prince and princess back to the palace!"

"But Sebastian!" Ariel and Atticus cried.

"And you!" Sebastian pointed to Flounder. "Consider this your first and only warning, mon!" 

The swordfish came behind Ariel and Atticus to follow their orders.

"We're going, we're going." Atticus grumbled to the swordfish.

Ariel glared back as she and Atticus were forced back to the palace. Sebastian groaned a bit, then started to follow them back. Then when he saw flounder was still there he glared at him telling the yellow fish to get out of there. And where Flounder got the message instantly and swam away fast. Ariel sighed as she was sent to her room with her sisters.

"You know how Uncle Triton is about music, Atticus." Jessica said when Atticus was in the guest room with him.

"Yeah, yeah, but still, this law and Manta and Marina are driving me crazy!" Atticus exclaimed while he was doing push-ups and a handstand at the same time.

"It might get better," Darla shrugged with a smile. "Ya never know..."

"Yeah, sure," Atticus said and then got right back up after finishing his exercises. "I hope it's soon."

"It's time for bed anyway..." Darla swam to her bed.

Jessica swam to hers. "Good night, Atticus."

As Atticus was about to join his sisters, a familiar fish was swimming out by the window.

'What the? Is that Flounder? What is he doing out so late?' Atticus thought.

Ariel was swimming out of her and her sisters' rooms through the window, she had seen Flounder too. Flounder was swimming to the exit of the Atlantica castle. Atticus looked back to his family and then decided to join his cousin to follow the yellow fish.

Ariel looked to see Atticus, smiling softly, then they came after the fish. Flounder looked around to make sure no one was looking as he came to a kelp door. He blew some air with melodic bubbles arriving and made the door open up to him. Ariel and Atticus decided to go after Flounder and find out where he was going. 

"Where is Flounder going?" Atticus wondered. "And why so late at night?"

Ariel and Atticus got mangled in the weeds a little, but they weren't hurt. They saw Flounder still going down and reaching further down and more down the more he went along. Flounder thought he was being watched and looked around, but Ariel and Atticus ducked down before he could see them. He then tapped a rock wall with his tail fin a few times and went in as soon as the rock parted and let him pass.

Atticus had counted how many times Flounder fin tapped on the rock wall before it opened.

"Okay, let's do it just like he did it." Atticus whispered.

Ariel bit her lip, she tapped on the rock wall with her fist the right amount of times. Luckily, the wall opened up and allowed her and Atticus to continue following Flounder. Flounder came up to a shell-like entrance and whispered lyrics to it, to open it and let him pass through. Atticus and Ariel were about to follow Flounder inside and try to see if they could find another way in. Atticus and Ariel were about to go in, but then a green fish was sent out.

"Quick, get back." Atticus whispered.

Ariel went back, but got swallowed by an underwater plant as the green fish passed by, not seeing them.


	15. Chapter 15

"Aaaaugh!" Atticus and Ariel screamed. They fell back, but when they looked ahead, they saw a lot of happy fish having a good time, singing and dancing. They also saw a merboy there with the happy fish having a great time.

A female fish was dancing with a male shrimp, the clams were popping up and down, and there were other dnacing fish. Turtles beat the drums, fish blew horns, sting rays played their strings on their guitars, and an octopus played the piano. Ariel smiled, she had never heard anything more beautiful as the sea creatures sang along to their merry melody. 

"Flounder!" Ariel and Atticus found the yellow and blue fish.

Flounder looked ahead and felt trapped. "Guys...?"

They both smiled and waved at him.

"Oh, no!" Flounder swam toward Ariel and Atticus, trying to make them not be seen. He quickly did a dance though to make it appear he wasn't hiding anything.

The fish showed their audience the entertainment for the evening and to Atticus and Ariel's surprise, it was Sebastian.

"Sebastian." Atticus and Ariel gasped, ducking down.

Sebastian slid down as the music swelled and he started to sing. He wasn't stopping the music, but he was against the music, wasn't he? 

"Sebastian?" Ariel and Atticus were confused.

Flounder smiled as he put Ariel and Atticus's jaws up after they dropped. "Sebastian."

They were surprised that this was Sebastian as they saw him dancing and hearing him sing. Flounder shook maracas with them. Ariel was delighted, she swam off to see Sebastian up close. Atticus and Flounder tried to stop her, but it was too late. Sebastian was thrown up on stage and he danced, then gasped as he saw the little mermaid princess and passed out from the shock.

"Hey, Sebastian." Atticus said nervously.

The sea creatures saw Ariel and Atticus and decided to get away. They thought they would tell Triton about this secret. After the octopus got away with his ink blots, the club was all empty. Not even Flounder was there anymore. 

"Oh..." Ariel looked down sadly.

"Dang it." Atticus groaned.

Ariel sighed. "Come on, let's go..." she was about to swim with him, but her tail fin hit the guitar, making the strings sing slightly. She then found herself beating the drums, blowing the horn, and playing on the piano. She found herself singing, sounding a lot like her mother, but she quickly got sad. Atticus knew that she missed her mother. 

Ariel might have been very little when the accident happened, but she knew the SONG in her heart as she sat on the stage and started to sing it. Flounder came out from under the stage and swam up to the cousins. This also made the other sea life come back with Ariel's soothing and lovely singing voice as mermaids were meant to sing. 

"This can't happen!" Sebastian scolded her, but she kept singing as she didn't care. "Your father is the king!"

"Do you promise to jump, jive, wail, groove, rock steady, and lend a helping hand to your fellow music lovers?" a fast-talking blue striped fish asked.

"We do." Ariel and Atticus replied.

Sebastian looked glum, mostly because he was nervous about this. "They're in..."

This was great news for the sea creatures and the cousins. Sebastian had to go to Triton though. He WAITED until the next morning though.

'This is going to be the greatest night ever, I just wish Jessica, Darla, and the girls were here with us.' Atticus thought.

Manta was secretly at the party too, he went to his, Marina, and Benjamins' ROOM. He didn't mean to interrupt her lovely beauty sleep, but he wanted to wake her before Sebastian. He knew she was going to like this. Mostly since it involved Ariel and Atticus. But it was too late, she was ALREADY up and swimming out to King Triton so she would hopefully get there before Sebastian did.

Sebastian and Triton already greeted each other, but the crab was surprised since Marina was there.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." Marina grinned.

Manta came to look to see how this would work, he hoped the best for Marina.

"I have a PROBLEM," Triton spoke up, looking very grim. "It's Ariel and Atticus."

Sebastian squeaked and his jaw dropped.

"Ariel is rebellious, subordinate, and headstrong." Marina spoke up.

"And Atticus is simply taking advantage that you are only his uncle and as a visitor, he could get away with anything." Manta added to make Atticus sound like a bad boy of the sea.

Marina AGREED wit him.

"We need to immediately implement a series of CHECKS and balances designed to crush their spirit." Manta suggested, sounding dark as always.

Marina and Manta looked to see Triton and Sebastian looked questionably at them for that.

"What, too harsh?" Marina asked. 

"Absolutely!" Sebastian looked to them, then went to the king. "Your Majesty, they're young, probably going through a phase..."

"I don't remember having this much trouble with any of her sisters, and Emily and Patrick have told me Jessica hasn't done this..." Triton shrugged.

Sebastian then decided to remind Triton about the accidents that the rest of his daughters did back then. 

Marina and Manta went on about Ariel and Atticus as Sebastian mentioned the other of Triton's daughters. 

"Or the time Attina got her head in a conch shell." Sebastian finished.

"That was me." Marina said flatly.

Triton looked to them, but looked to the crab. "Perhaps you're right, Sebastian... Still, it seems Marina and Manta could use some help. I want you to look after Ariel..." He then went off, leaving Sebastian, Marina, and Manta to bow as he left.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Sebastian said while bowing.

Marina and Sebastian then started to call each other names, bickering like siblings.

"Dismissed!" Triton told them since they were still in his throne room.

They both then looked to Triton and then left the throne room.

Meanwhile Atticus and Ariel both hummed her mother's SONG while sleeping in the same room. That's right, Atticus followed Ariel, not being creepy, but from exhaustion from the party and also from being tired. When Ariel and Atticus woke up, they saw Attina, Aquata, Alana, Adella, Arista, Adrianna, Jessica, and Darla staring down at them in bewilderment. 

"What?" Ariel looked concerned that they were there.

Attina folded her arms and looked strict. "You were humming."

"Oh, we were?" Ariel smiled nervously.

"Out loud." Arista added.

"We didn't notice and we weren't doing it so loud," Atticus said. "By the way, why are we inside the girls' bedroom?" He then asked his sisters. 

"Don't worry, it was just a dream." Ariel swam to her mirror to get herself ready for the day.

"I'll tell you what wasn't a dream." Alana said.

"We woke up at midnight, worried!" Jessica added.

"And your beds were still empty." Adella finished.

"Really?" Atticus asked.

"You missed curfew." Darla put in.

"Yeah, by like two hours." Adrianna added.

"Oh." Ariel kept brushing her hair.

"Oh, did you two meet a boy and a girl?" Darla grinned to her adoptive cousin and brother.

"If it's a boy, Jessica and I are gonna die!" Adella yelped dramatically.

Atticus just rolled his eyes at Adella's dramatic yelp. 

"Drama..." Aquata rolled her eyes too.

"Adella, we'll be fine." Jessica looked to her, yes, she wanted a boyfriend, but wasn't as crazy about it as her boy crazy cousin.

"I mean, I'm happy for you, Ariel..." Adella grinned to her youngest sister. "It's just that I'm two years older than you, and the only one I've come even close to kissing is Stevie."

"Eww, Greasy Stevie?" Darla asked.

"You don't even know him, Darla, it was a dare!" Adella got defensive. 

"Whatever." Adrianna rolled her eyes, but agreed with Darla.

"Girls, let's stick to the subject." Attina looked to her sister and cousin.

"So, what happened last night, you two?" Jessica asked Ariel and Atticus.

Ariel swam away. "Well, it wasn't a boy or a girl, okay? We were just helping a friend out past the kelp forest."

"Ooh, past the kelp forest, it wasn't a boy or girl, it was a bad girl and boy!" Aquata grinned. 

"Oh, guys!" Arista gasped.

Jessica loved the girls, but some of them could be dramatic even more then her.

"Simmer down, sister," Aquata calmed Arista down, then looked to the two. 

"So, you were helping a friend?" Attina smirked as she came to them. 

"Yep." Ariel nodded quickly.

"Then where'd you get... This!?" Attina took out a maraca, making their sisters gasp.

Ariel then took the maraca away from Attina and placed it under her pillow.

"Can you imagine what would happen if Uncle Triton saw that?" Jessica scolded her brother.

"He's never here." Ariel smiled nervously, answering for Atticus.

"Don't get cute with me," Attina scolded, she was like a new mother since she was the oldest sister. "This is serious. Where were you guys?"

"We were just listening to music and a secret club." Atticus said, answering for Ariel.

Attina didn't believe that. "Okay, where were you really?"

Ariel smiled sincerely to show that was true. Alana, Aquata, Adella, Arista, and Adrianna swam up to their sister to ask them all about it and how the music was. Darla decided to ask too. Jessica swam up to do the same as they began to ask both Ariel and Atticus of what it was like. 

"Makes you feel like... Like..." Ariel smiled after she danced with Arista briefly. "When Mom was here..."

The sisters smiled and frowned sadly, thinking of their mother. 

Arista looked over. "Guys, I wanna hear it too."

"You do?" Ariel smiled to her.

The other sisters besides Attina agreed with that.

"I think that's a lovely idea." Darla blossomed.

"Yeah, me too." Jessica agreed.

"This is not happening!" Attina protested, she didn't mean to burst their bubble like that, but they had to obey their father's wishes. "You guys go again and I'll...." she tried to think of a threat to them then.

"Oh, lighten up." Adrianna smirked to her older sister.

"Come on..." Ariel pleaded.

"Yeah, come on, Attina, please." Atticus pleaded.

Darla pouted with Adella, Arista, Alana, and Aquata.

Attina growled and sighed. "Oh, okay..." she gave in, making her sisters and cousins cheer.

Marina came to wake up the girls, but was surprised to see they were already awake and ready for the morning. "And why are you three in here?" She pointed to Atticus, Jessica, and Darla. "Manta is supposed to wake you three."

"Oh, well, we woke ourselves up and we just came in here to check if the girls were up yet," Atticus said. "And where they also woke themselves up isn't that right, girls?"

"Uh-huh." Jessica said while Darla nodded.

Darla grinned by Marina, pinching her cheek a little before going with the others. "Good morning~"

Marina watched them leave with Benjamin.

"They're early." Benjamin said, surprised.

"Yes, but why...?" Marina was very suspicious as she left the girls' room. She looked to Manta. "Do you know anything?"

"I saw them sneak out at night and following a guppy into some hidden place..." Manta revealed he had been spying on Ariel and Atticus for her.

"Oh, really? Well, we'll see if they'll be sneaking out tonight by checking their rooms later tonight." Marina said.

"Then you'll move to the top." Manta grinned for her.

"Yes, but the only way of that happening is if Sebastian was there as well." Marina said before leaving the room.

Manta thought a moment. 'I don't think that'll be a problem, dear...'


	16. Chapter 16

Ariel and Atticus led their sisters to the underwater music club. 

"Music!" Ariel's sisters sounded shocked.

"I know, isn't it fantastic!?" Ariel gushed. "And we're all together!"

Most of the girls then screamed out of excitement with atticus and Ariel, but two of Ariel's sisters hadn't screamed in excitement or were excited. Adrianna and Attina stood nervously together as they others went off. They were both nervous, but they had to catch up with the others. 

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the blue striped fish named Swifty made an announcement. "The Catfish Club is proud to present, the original rock lobster, the one, the only, Red Tornado!"

The crowd cheered as Sebastian was revealed to sing for them again.  
Attina and Adrianna were surprised, but cheered for him.

"Okay, where are the boys?" Adella looked around as she saw every sea creature had someone to dance with except for her.

Then a sea creature came towards her.

"Good enough." Adella shrugged, then went to dance with him. 

Arista was gushing so much, she even joined the fish on stage.

"Would you like to dance?" a lobster asked Aquata.

"Uh, no thanks..." Aquata smiled apologetically, not wanting to get pinched by him.

Even Attina was having fun. Darla swam around happily, then accidentally bumped into someone and looked back over to him and he looked back at her. 

"Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you." Darla said.

"It's okay." the boy creature replied.

Ariel watched with Atticus and Flounder as there were starfish playing limbo with a long and dangly sardine. Aquata seemed to attract more boys than her boy crazy sister and still politely turned down the dance requests. Arista smiled as she blew the horn instrument, joining in the band. 

"Atticus, you're right," Jessica smiled to her brother. "Aunt Athena would've loved this."

"Yeah." Attina agreed.

Marina and Manta searched he rooms, finding them completely empty. 

"Come with me," Manta told her. "I know exactly where they are."

The cousins kept dancing together, having the best time of their lives at this dance club. The merboy even joined them. It got very late and Ariel decided they should go back home. Jessica carried Darla who was now already asleep as she went back with Atticus to their room, exhausted. And where they were all now very happy after the party.

"We're gonna get killed if anyone finds out about this..." Jessica chuckled as she quietly put Darla to sleep. "But I'm glad we got to have more fun on this family vacation."

Darla yawned and looked over with her eyes a little sleepy. "Totally worth it..."

"Good night, girls." Atticus said with a smile.

Jessica, Darla, and Atticus then went to sleep after an exhausting day.

Marina came to the throne room. "Your Highness...." she greeted, then spoke quickly. "We need to talk."

Manta came inside too. "And I think it's best if Patrick and Emily hear this too."

Later that night, the cousins were all at the night club once again, having a whole lot of fun like last night. It was all fun until a school of swordfish barged in and stopped the party instantly. Triton came with Patrick and Emily after the party-goers had to stop their fun and couldn't hide fast enough. 

"This is how you watch over our children?" Triton glared down at Sebastian.

"Sir, I!" Sebastian tried to speak up.

"We trusted you..." Patrick sounded disappointed. 

"Guards, lock him away, lock them all away!" Triton commanded, making the swordfish take the fish away.

Darla looked over to the cute merboy who liked her and she thought maybe she liked him back. The school of swordfish began to take all the sea creatures Sebastian flounder and the merboy out of the night club.

"Marina, Manta, you both will take over Sebastian's duties immediately." Triton told the two.

Marina looked extremely delighted, but tried to contain herself. "As you wish..." she bowed, then led Ariel and her sisters away as Manta led Atticus, Jessica, and Darla. 

"Attina, take your sisters home." Triton commanded his eldest daughter.

"Yes, sir." Attina nodded.

"Father, you can't do this!" Ariel was outraged. 

"It's already done!" Triton snarled.

Attina and Aquata came to get Ariel and lead her away. Atticus began to try to hold in his anger, knowing what his uncle was going to do. 

"Triton, maybe it's a little harsh..." Emily spoke up to her brother-in-law.

"Stay out of this, Emily, I know what's best for my family!" Triton snapped, then took out his trident to destroy the music club.

And they all began to make their way to the throne room while Sebastian flounder the merboy and the sea creatures were taken to the dungeon.

"You're all confined to the palace." Triton scolded his daughters, even his nieces and nephew, this included them. 

"Yes, Father..." Attina nodded in obedience. 

"Why don't you just lock us in jail?" Ariel scoffed.

"Yeah?" Atticus scoffed.

"Ariel, Atticus, you are confined in the palace until you understand what you've done." Triton told them firmly.

"What did we do?" Ariel looked with anger. "Tell us, Daddy."

"Guys, leave it alone." Attina spoke since she was the oldest.

"No, we didn't do anything wrong, we were just listening to music." Atticus said.

"Which you both know is forbidden!" Triton boomed.

"But why, why can't we have music?" Ariel demanded to know, she didn't exactly know what happened to her mother.

Triton remembered the pain and couldn't bear to tell her. "This discussion is over."

"Tell me!" Ariel pleaded.

Atticus hoped that his uncle would tell Ariel. Triton refused to answer.

Ariel thought back before speaking up again, then got a little sad and angry. "I may not remember much about my mother, but I know she wouldn't want this." She quickly swam off, having enough.

Atticus joined her not even looking at his uncle. Ariel came into her room, nearly crying, but of course, with no tears. Atticus came in so then he could comfort her. 

Ariel looked back to Atticus and tried to look calm like she hadn't cried. "I just don't get it, Atticus..." she whispered.

Atticus now knew that he had to tell Ariel, it was either him to tell her or for Sebastian to tell her. Ariel stared back into the mirror. Ariel's sisters then came into the room to see their sister. Attina looked at Ariel as the others went to their mirrors in silence. Jessica and Darla also came by Atticus.

"Attina..." Atticus and Ariel said.

Attina looked to them, she wasn't sure what to say, but she made this sound serious to her youngest sister and cousin. "You just don't know when to quit..." she said, glaring at them with her fiery green eyes, then swam off.

The others surrounded Ariel and Atticus, they didn't want that to be said, it was too harsh. They weren't sure what else to do, but swim away from Ariel. 

"But we're finally happy..." Ariel pouted.

"Look around, Ariel," Attina said firmly. "No one's happy." 

The rest of Ariel's sisters went to their beds to get some rest after a tough day.

"Atticus, we better leave them." Jessica said to her younger brother.

"Alright," Atticus said to his older sister and then looked to Ariel and whispered. "Meet me outside your room after leaving something on your pillow before leaving."

Ariel nodded, she felt bad for the misery she caused for her, her sisters, and cousins. Jessica left with Darla to their room. Atticus then left the room to join his family in the guest room.

Jessica brushed her hair with a seashell brush. "We should tell her..."

"Oh, are you sure?" Darla sounded worried. "It might be too sad... Attina should've told her..."

"I'll tell her in the morning." Atticus said, while looking out the window.

"If she hasn't run away by then..." Darla said, then smiled a little as she looked in the mirror with her new hair as it waved with the oceanic atmosphere. "I'm so gonna break a lot of the boys' hearts when I really become a teenager."

"Goodbye curls, bows, and princess phase." Jessica chuckled, helping Darla brush her hair down.


	17. Chapter 17

Meanwhile with Marina, Manta, and Benjamin, Marina and Manta were the only ones that were happy about what happened. Marina even had a moment on the rocks with the waves splashing which Ariel would in the future, but of course, no one understood yet. The fish were wondering about Marina and a little scared of Manta, even if he was on the good side NOW, or so Triton, Patrick, and Emily would think. 

"Benjamin, tear out those puny windows and rip down those narrow walls for Marina," Manta commanded the manatee. "This is just the beginning!"

"He's right, we need a balcony to wave down to those adoring crowds!" Marina added as she happily swayed about.

A new closet for Marina was brought in. Marina happily went to her new closet after the delivery fish brought it and came out with a new outfit of a pink striped outfit with white opera gloves, a pink ruby necklace, and a cape with a new hat. She looked absolutely stunning. 

"She does seem happier." Benjamin smiled, but accidentally backed up against the eels, getting electrocuted slightly.

"How long has she been in charge?" the fish.

"About seven minutes." Manta smiled for Marina.

Marina then laughed, thinking that nothing could ruin this for her or for Manta and where Manta thought the same thing. 

Later that night, in both the guest room and the seven sisters bedroom. Ariel and Atticus sulked while their sisters were sleeping. Ariel remembered what Atticus told her as she sniffed one of the underwater plants close to her, she then put it on her pillow and decided to meet Atticus, she couldn't take this anymore. She looked to her sisters one last time, then swam out of their room without being heard or seen by anybody. Atticus did the same swimming out to meet her.

"Atticus, I'm going to see the others in prison," Ariel whispered to her cousin. "It's not right for them to be locked up because of music and being happy."

"I'm coming with you, Ariel and we're going to set them free." Atticus whispered to his cousin.

Ariel smiled softly, then took him into the prison cells of the castle. They made sure no one was watching them as they swam off into the locked doors with petrified kelp for bars. She then stood back as Atticus used his strength to open the bar doors and free them.

"Ariel and Atticus?" Sebastian saw them.

"Come on, Sebastian, let's go." Ariel ordered.

"I'm with her." a ray agreed.

"If we run away from Atlantica, it would break your father's heart, Ariel." Sebastian said sadly.

"Listen, Sebastian, we're not going to stay here if it makes everyone sad and if there's no more music." Atticus said as he got rid of the bar doors.

"I will not be responsible for taking you away from your family!" Sebastian huffed.

"We're leaving!" Ariel told him, referring to herself and Atticus. "With or without you."

"Nobody's leaving!" Sebastian argued. 

"Except you." the turtle muttered.

"Look, Sebastian, Atticus is right, without music, this place just isn't home," Ariel said softly. 

The animals and merboy with wavy blonde hair agreed.

"Sebastian, there is one way to let Atlantica and I think you know what I'm talking about." Atticus said to the red crab.

"You're right, I do... And you two are right, without music this place just isn't home, I know just where to go!" Sebastian cheered with the other happy sea creatures.

"Then come on." Atticus said.

The merboy decided that he should tell Atticus and Ariel his name. 

"So, who are you?" Ariel asked him.

"I'm Urchin," the merboy replied with a smile. 

"Do your parents know that you were going to the Catfish Club?" Ariel asked. "They must've been worried seasick!"

Urchin frowned a little. "Uh, not really... I was fine."

"You don't have any parents, do you?" Atticus asked, having a feeling that Urchin was an orphan.

Urchin frowned. "I don't remember what happened to them..."

Ariel looked sad and sorry for him. "That's tough... I lost my mother when I was really young."

It felt like these two had dealt with the same experience, except Ariel still had her father.

"At least you know who she is... And you have King Triton for a father." Urchin said as they swam.

Ariel wanted to help Urchin someway, but now they had to get out of Atlantica. Sebastian tried to hush everyone as they kept making their escape. Flounder wouldnt' stop making noise though, he wanted to sing. Eventually everyone started to sing as they made their way away from home where they could be free. And where this was fun for having to sing and dance while following Sebastian.

Meanwhile back in Atlantica, Benjamin was now going to check if everyone was asleep and alright. Benjamin looked in the girls' room, he smiled as the girls looked like angels when they slept. Except for Ariel, she wasn't in her bed and he found the flower on her pillow. Manta was putting his and Marina's egg in a crib-like bed and tucked it in to keep it warm and he patted the top of it. It was one of the few times he was generous. 

Marina swam by Patrick, Emily, and Triton as they looked out to the palace and she bragged about the changes she made NOW as an official governess. But they weren't very in the mood to LISTEN to this. Benjamin came to Marina, but she didn't want to hear from him right now. 

"I think I was too hard on them..." Triton murmured.

"Agreed." Patrick and Emily said, AGREEING with him.

Marina looked at him, then was lowered because of Benjamin. 

"What is it, you green sea cow?" Manta glared at Benjamin for lowering Marina like that to interrupt her.

"Daddy," Attina came to the adults with Jessica as she held a flower. "Ariel and Atticus are gone." 

"What?" Triton, Patrick, and Emily sounded alarmed.

"Why didn't you tell?" Marina asked Benjamin, threateningly.

"I just did..." Benjamin nearly whimpered.

Triton stroked his eldest daughter's face after Attina and Jessica mentioned they looked everywhere for Atticus and Ariel. 

"Don't worry, we'll find them." Patrick promised.

Emily nodded. "We need Sebastian."

"What?! No, no, no!" Marina swam over instantly. "I'm in charge here..."

Triton, Patrick, and Emily glared at her. Triton summoned the swordfish to SEARCH the ocean and look for Ariel and Atticus in all of Atlantica.

"Your Majesty! Y-Your Majesty!" Marina called out, trying to get Triton's attention.

Triton seemed to ignore her and swam off with Attina and Jessica. Emily and Patrick joined them. And where this seemed to anger her as she was NOW glaring at the flower that was left on Ariel's pillow. 

Marina was furious, she grabbed the flower and crushed it into her gloved hand. "Sebastian..." 

Manta looked very angry too, even more than he usually looked, he looked evil again.

Meanwhile with Atticus, Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, and the sea creatures. Flounder and Urchin kept asking if they were there yet to which Sebastian replied no as they kept their escape. 

"Yes," Sebastian eventually said and showed them a new part of the ocean. "This is it."

This then led to everyone asking the crab if he was sure.

"But, Sebastian, this like the middle of the bottom of the whole ocean." Atticus said as he observed the whole area.

"Nonsense," Sebastian declined to them. "It's perfect."

"How is it perfect? Give me one good reason of how this place is perfect?" Atticus asked.

"It beats the dungeon." Sebastian said to him.

"He's got a point." the ray said.

"Yeah, only not by much." Urchin shrugged. 

Their new land would have to do for now.

"Well, I guess this will have to do." Atticus said.

Ariel sighed, she found a spot to get comfortable like the others and lay down on the floor. They all decided to get some sleep now.


	18. Chapter 18

Later that night in Atlantica, Marina was trying to open her eel cage to release her pets and demanded Benjamin give her the key. Manta was in the other room, tending to their egg, so he couldn't come to help Marina make Benjamin give it up.

"Benjamin, give me that key!" Marina exclaimed.

"I said no." Benjamin told her.

"Look, I haven't worked my tail off for the last 12 hours just to have it snatched away." Marina seethed.

"How about a nice bath?" Benjamin bribed. 

"BENJAMIN, GIVE ME THE KEY!" Marina screeched.

"You said never give it to you in a fit of rage!" Benjamin retorted.

Marina kept trying to get it, but it seemed nearly impossible.

"I'M PERFECTLY CALM!" Marina screeched trying to get the key again.

"Doesn't sound it." Benjamin still refused.

"Oh, Benjamin, look at the pretty fishes." Manta came in to distract the manatee.

"Where?" Benjamin looked with a smile.

Manta snatched the key, then gave it to Marina to unlock the eels. 

"Thank you, finally!" Marina said, sounding victorious with the help from Manta and then unlocks the cage of her pet eels.

The eels came out, looking hungry and loyal with Marina as always, but hateful towards Benjamin who often threatened to bite or zap him. 

"Who wants crab cakes?" Marina asked her pets.

"What are you going to do?" Benjamin asked.

"Whatever it takes to get rid of Sebastian." Marina scowled.

"But what about Ariel and Atticus?" Benjamin asked.

Marina and Manta looked angry at those names, but then decided to get rid of them too. Benjamin looked glum, he had given them the idea to get rid of the youngest mermaid princess and the merboy nephew of King Triton.

"That's right, they'll tattle." Marina realized this.

"Oh, well, I guess we'll have to kill them too." Manta suggested.

"What?" Benjamin got anxious.

"That's brilliant, Benjamin, brilliant!" Marina danced. 

Marina and Manta were planning to have Atticus and Ariel suffer from an unfortunate 'accident' with the eels sent out NOW to find Sebastian and the others. Benjamin didn't like it one bit, he thought Marina and Manta had lost their minds.

"You've lost your minds!" Benjamin said out loud.

Marina and Manta almost got Benjamin to be devoured by the eels, btu they were sent off to search for Atticus, Ariel, and Sebastian.

Even though her head was lying against a rock, Ariel was fast asleep in her new climate. She woke up though when she saw something shiny in the distance however. Atticus also noticed it and knew what it was, but didn't show it.

Ariel went to the crab. "Sebastian."

Sebastian didn't want to wake up. "Five more minutes, Mummy..."

"Sebastian, did you hear that?" Ariel asked him.

The crab turned over. "Leave me alone, I'm sleepin'."

Ariel kept asking him, but gave in and wanted to find whatever the object was in the distance of the beach. Atticus went along with her, so then he could be sure that she found what he and Sebastian were hoping that she would find. Sebastian smiled as they went, he actually wanted Ariel to see this for herself.

Ariel looked around as she passed the kelp forest and saw her reflection in beautiful rocks of the ocean. She looked down in the icy little glaciers and found a closed box that was shining. That must had been what she saw. Atticus knew of what it was. Ariel held the box and opened it to find it had gold figurines of her parents dancing with a song she knew in her heart. 

She wanted to ask Atticus if he knew about it, but she held it and slowly sat down, very touched and emotional over it. Atticus knew that now Ariel had to know and both he and Sebastian were going to tell her together.

"It was an anniversary present," Sebastian's voice snuck up on Ariel as she was having her moment. "Your father had the music box made for your mother. Athena was more than his queen, you know... She was his best friend." 

Atticus hadn't even seen Sebastian come in, but was glad that he did.

"The family together..." Ariel was starting to remember the old days before Athena had passed away. "Music playing all the time..."

"The palace always echoed with laughter." Sebastian added.

Memories began to flow through Ariel's mind. 

"When your mother died, the whole kingdom was heartbroken," Sebastian told the mermaid princess. "The heart that never healed was your father's."

Ariel now understood as she hugged the music box. "It's so sad... He's forgotten what it feels like to be happy..."

"And that's why he brought us here, so then you could find the music box that Uncle Triton made for Aunt Athena."Atticus said.

Ariel looked to the crab and her cousin, then had a smile as she had an idea. "I have to bring this back to him!"

Sebastian smiled, not protesting. "If you insist."

Ariel smiled back. "This is why we came here, wasn't it?"

Sebastian smiled bigger, it was indeed the reason.

"M-Maybe." Atticus said, playfully innocent.

Sebastian went to explain to the others they were going back, but the others didn't seem too eager because of the music box and giving it to Triton personally. The fish, ray, octopus, turtle, and Urchin talked over, then looked back at the group.

"Listen, the band talked it over, and uh... They said they just couldn't take the chance." Urchin explained for them.

"WHAT!?" Sebastian put his claws on his hips. 

Ariel looked to them and shrugged with a smile. "Maybe someday it'll be different."

"You'll come home and play music all you want." Atticus added.

"Sure, guys... Someday..." the ray said softly in his low voice. "Someday..."

"Bye..." Ariel went to leave with Atticus and Sebastian, leaving Flounder and Urchin behind as the octopus, ray, turtle and other fish swam into the other direction.

"G-Guys, we can't just leave them." Flounder said.

"Drop it, small fry." the ray said to the yellow and blue fish.

"But you took an oath!" Urchin added.

"Yeah, to jump, jive, wail, groove, rock steady and at all times, lend a helping hand to your fellow music lovers!" Flounder explained.

"The Catfish Club is history, the oath don't mean a thing." the ray said as he continued to swim with the others.

"Well, it still means something to me and Urchin." Flounder said determined.

Flounder and Urchin then followed Ariel, Atticus and Sebastian the best they could.

Sebastian looked around. "I don't remember this much kelp when we came through here last night."

"Ah, kelp schmelp, I ain't afraid of overgrown weeds." Flounder grinned, then did karate moves on a few, but accidentally hit something that wasn't kelp, it was one of Marina's eels.

"Flounder, that isn't kelp, those are electric eels!" Atticus said.

The eels hissed and looked down to them.

Manta and Marina came in front of them. "Surprise!"

"Marina!" Sebastian was most surprised to see her, then looked at the purple camouflage army like outfit. "What are you wearing?"

"I thought I'd dress for the occasion." Marina smirked.

"What's the occasion?" Sebastian asked with a smile.

Manta grinned and took out a tiny net big enough to fit Sebastian into it. Sebastian gasped, then got him, Ariel, Atticus, Flounder, and Urchin to move. They all swam for their lives following Sebastian's orders.


	19. Chapter 19

Marina and Manta set the eels after them. Sebastian tried to hold off the eels by pressing his legs against some rocks, which made the eels try to dodge them and slow them down. The crab laughed in victory, but stopped once he was caught in the net. Sebastian pinched Manta's nose and went off to his freedom.

"You guys go, I'll hold off Manta." Atticus said.

"Are you sure?" Ariel asked.

"Come on, we don't have much time!" Urchin pulled the princess away, he was anxious to get away before he could get seriously hurt.

"I am serious." Atticus said.

Manta came to find Atticus. "Well, if it isn't my lunch date I cancelled a few years back?" he grinned darkly, now ready to take down Atticus while Marina would try to take down Ariel.

"Come and get me, big mouth." Atticus said before swimming away to lure him away from Ariel, Urchin, and Flounder.

"Why, you little!" Manta growled, then swam to catch up with Atticus.

Ariel, Urchin, and Flounder had to leave their hiding spot because of a small case of the hiccups. Marina's pet eels FOUND them and went after the three. Ariel, Flounder, and Urchin tried to avoid the best they could. They hid in a cave, but it looked like they were doomed as the eels came closer, but to their surprise, tentecles came down to save them. 

Ray was making a slingshot and he and the turtle shot the fish with a shell helmet against sharp rocks as the eels came out of the hole, but were crushed by it, saving Ariel, Urchin, and Flounder. Marina decided to deal with Sebastian now and get Ariel later, but he was proved to be an even greater opponent. 

"Sebastian and Atticus are in trouble." Ariel told the others.

"Follow us!" Flounder said, going ahead with Urchin to lead the others.

Atticus was even a great opponent for manta as he began to use his strength against him. 

Manta couldn't believe the times he was blown back. "There is no way I'm letting a puny shrimp push me around like this!" he snarled.

Atticus now began to twirl Manta around by pulling him by his tail and was using all his strength, sending him flying into a hole, getting him stuck. Manta was stuck and he struggled to get out. Marina was rolling downhill after being defeated by Sebastian's abilities. Flounder beat one of the eels for scaring him and his friends, but they had to keep swimming away, the eels just wouldn't quit. This caught the attention of Atticus and Sebastian.

"Later, gotta go and help my cousin and friends." Atticus said to Manta, before swimming off.

Manta glared as Atticus left. "You haven't seen the last of me..." he growled, glaring sharply with his red eyes glowing.

Marina began to help him get out of the hole he was stuck in while Atticus and Sebastian helped Ariel, Flounder, Urchin, and the sea creatures with her pet eels. Flounder found a way to confuse and trick with the eels. The eels were trapped in their own knots now and the others were free to go while Marina was with Manta. Everyone cheered for Flounder, just as Triton, Emily, and Patrick finally came to find their children. 

Manta was finally free from his trap and both he and marina swam to where Atticus, Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, Urchin and all the sea creatures were Manta now didn't care who he killed as long as he took his rage out on someone even if it was Ariel while Marina had her eyes on Sebastian.

"Sebastian!" Ariel gasped as Marina was coming down to defeat the crab.

"Ariel, no!" Triton cried for his youngest daughter, it made him think of when Athena saved Atticus from an incoming cannon ball ten years ago. 

It suddenly seemed all silent and intense as Ariel pushed Marina away, holding the music box close to her chest. Manta swam to finish the JOB on Ariel's death, but Atticus swam to take the hit from Manta.

"Atticus!" Emily hiccuped once she found him, then quickly swam to her only son.

Triton went to pick up Ariel, making her drop the music box in the PROCESS. It opened up and played Athena's song. "What have I done...?" he muttered sadly.

Patrick looked down at Atticus with Emily. Were Ariel and Atticus gone now too like Athena? Atticus had looked like he was dead he had taken the hit from Manta for Ariel, his favorite mermaid cousin.

Triton heard the music and looked above. Athena must have been ashamed of him now, all of this happened because he forbade music. He swallowed softly, then began to sing the SONG Athena sang for their girls.

Finally, Ariel's eyes OPENED up. "Daddy...?"

"Oh, Ariel, I-I'm so SORRY." Triton apologized.

Ariel hugged him instantly. "Daddy, let's go home."

Urchin and the sea creatures smiled.

Triton looked to his in-laws and nephew. "Is he...?"

"I hope not..." Patrick said softly.

Ariel swam up to her cousin, hoping that he wasn't dead. He began TO OPEN to his eyes slowly. 

"Atticus... Honey, it's mommy..." Emily whispered.

Triton came to see too.

"Mommy?" Atticus asked, hoping he was seeing CORRECTLY.

"Oh, Atticus..." Emily sniffled, hugging him close. "He's okay..."

"We're going to take you and Ariel home, Atticus, it's going to be better, I promise." Triton said with a small smile.

Flounder group hugged with the Catfish Club as it looked like a happy ending for everyone. Urchin smiled at them, but frowned as he seemed to be alone, mostly because he was an orphan with no one to go home to. 

"Uncle Triton, have you always wanted a son?" Atticus asked his uncle. "Because I think someone needs a family." He pointed to Urchin, letting his uncle know who he was referring.

Triton looked over. "I love Ariel and her sisters very much... But I have always wanted at least one boy..."

Urchin heard that, his eyes lit up and he swam quickly over. "Really? You mean it?"

Triton smiled. "What's YOUR name, son?"

"Urchin." 

"Welcome to the family, Urchin."

This was great news for urchin was finally going to have a family. Sebastian smiled as Patrick, Emily, and Triton went off with Atticus, Ariel, and Urchin. Life went on just the same as before with some differences. Not only with Urchin adopted into the royal underwater family, but Triton decided to make a big announcement to his people about the law of music after he happily woke up his daughters and new son without having to do a morning walk like with Marina. Atticus and his family joined them.


	20. Chapter 20

Triton cleared his throat as the merpeople and other sea creatures came. "To my daughters, new son, nieces and nephew, and to all the citizens of Atlantica, I hereby decree that music will once AGAIN ring clear from one end of my kingdom to another!" 

The people cheered happily to hear this. 

"Therefore, I hereby present Atlantica's first official court composer." Triton added, showing Sebastian as the crowd cheered again.

Sebastian THANKED for the job and introduced Swifty and Triton to each other. 

Attina hugged her youngest sister. "Thank you, Ariel."

Jessica ruffled up Atticus's hair. "Way to go, bro."

"Yeah!" Darla added with a smile.

Atticus and Ariel knew that this moment could never at all be ruined. Triton let everyone celebrate as he put the music box by his statue of himself with Athena, it seemed to brighten up the place once he did that. 

Ariel smiled and swam up to her father. "Daddy, how about a dance?"

Triton smiled to her, then danced with her. Darla swam around after Adella had kissed Stevie and Jessica was with the merboy she liked from earlier and was looking for a dance partner for herself. Everyone was enjoying the music and dancing. Darla sighed, she was about to give up as she sat down. Everyone had a dance partner except for her. A young deaf mute mermaid girl named Gabriella decided to dance with Atticus. 

And where they did dance, the only dance partner that left was Urchin. Darla looked to him, then smiled and danced with him. Everyone was happy, Marina was in jail with Benjamin and Evil Manta was forced to be imprisoned far from Atlantica where he couldn't hurt anyone, but he decided to look after his and Marina's egg, which, unknown to everybody, was both his and Marina's child they decided to name Little Evil, whether it was a boy or a girl. The time NOW came for Atticus, Jessica, Darla, and their parents to now GO BACK to their own time.

"Thank you so much for visiting." Triton told the parents.

"We're glad we came..." Emily smiled softly. "Hope to see you again soon..."

Jessica was holding hands with the merboy she liked.

"Jessica, it's time to go now..." Patrick told her a bit protectively.

"I know..." Jessica said, still holding the boy's hand.

Atticus could see Jessica was in love with this merboy. 

"You might see him later..." Patrick whispered to his older daughter.

Jessica sighed, but then looked to the merboy. "I better go back home with my family... It was very nice meeting you."

"Teenagers..." Darla rolled her eyes slightly to her adoptive sister.

"Ask him his name." Atticus whispered to his older sister.

Jessica blinked, then looked to the merboy she liked. "I'm SORRY... I don't believe I've asked for your name. I'm Jessica and you are..." she trailed off, allowing him to say whatever his name was.

"My name is Christopher." The merboy introduced himself.

Jessica smiled. "Christopher... I hope to see you again..."

Patrick grabbed his eldest child's arm. "Come on, Jessica!!!"

Jessica sighed. "Dad..." 

"Your father is right, time for you to come back." Emily encouraged her husband.

"*sighs* Alright." Jessica said.

"You are all welcome to visit Atlantica any time." Triton said with a smile.

"Thank you." everyone said.

Emily smiled, she looked to Athena's statue one last time, she swam over to it before sending her family home and gently stroked the face as it glowed with the magic. "I'm really going to miss you, Athena..." she whispered softly, but knew the statue wouldn't answer back to her.

"Ready?" Patrick asked.

Emily nodded, she then got her necklace set. "Let's go home..." she told the others.

They all grouped around her as the necklace glowed and was ready to take them back home and since they were GOING BACK to their real time, they would all return to their normal ages. And where after a glow they were all now back in their house and back to their original ages.

Atticus had something in his hand that would show them the way back to Atlantica.

Darla looked in the mirror and sighed. "I was such a lovely teenager..."

"Darla, remember, you're six, you'll be old like me in no time." Jessica teased. 

Patrick walked by Atticus, then noticed the object. "What'cha got there, son?"

"I think it's a map leading back to Atlantica." Atticus said, looking at the object he had.

Patrick hummed, looking to it. "Might be... Where'd you get it?"

Darla was in her bedroom, putting on make-up, just to be silly, she then opened the jewelry box and found something that wasn't there before. She held a conch-shell that glowed in her pudgy hands. It had her name on it and she wondered what to do with it, she shook it in her hands, but nothing was heard, she blew into it, and it made the wondrous and fulfilling music from Atlantica. She giggled and CONTINUED to play it like a wind instrument like the Catfish Club.

"I-I don't know." Atticus said, before having a thought. 'Sneaky Ariel.' 

Patrick chuckled. "Yes, your cousin Ariel is always the more adventurous of her sisters. Your mother told me she reminds her of your Aunt Athena when they were in Mermaid Lagoon with Peter Pan."

"And I'm thinking that she gave each of us something to remember of that day." Atticus said.

Darla came in, blowing the shell, then stopped. "Isn't this cool?"

"Darla, you better not PLAY that late at night." Patrick warned her.

Darla giggled. "Yes, Daddy..."

"Let's see if Jessica got anything from Ariel to remember our adventure in Atlantica." Atticus said

Darla smiled as she blew the horn happily, following Atticus to their sister.

Jessica was by her mirror as she sat in front of it and she was hooking a necklace around her neck as she focused on it. Atticus and Darla then ENTERED into her room, so then they could see what Jessica got.

Jessica pulled her hair back slightly and had ATTACHED a pearl necklace with glowing pearls like the ocean waves against a warm, sunny day.

Darla smiled, her eyes fluttering. "Is that from Christopher?"

Jessica let out a gasp, looking to them. "You guys scared me!"

"SORRY, we just wanted to see what you got from Atlantica." Atticus explained.

Jessica turned closer to them and showed her necklace. "I think this is made from oyster pearls."

"Oysters..." Darla sounded grossed out at that, but she thought it was a beautiful charm necklace.

"Who's it from?" Atticus asked.

"It doesn't say... I think it's from Ariel though." Jessica shrugged.

"I got this shell!" Darla showed, then blew into it again. "I can make my own music!" She blew it again instantly once she finished talking.

"Let's see what Mom and Dad got." Atticus suggested.


	21. Chapter 21

Emily happily sat on her bed, she had a shell container that opened up and showed a childhood picture of her with Athena when they were younger and always had fun spending time together. Whenever she would open up, it would play the song Athena sang for her daughters before bedtime. Emily smiled, but still had joyful tears in her eyes. "I miss you, Athena..." she whispered, wishing there was someway to see her sister AGAIN.

The spirit of Athena then came out, but this time, it wasn't because she was going BACK in Atlantica, but because this truly was the spirit of her beloved sister.

Emily wasn't sure if she was seeing things or not, but giggled sadly. "Hello, Athena..." she attempted to say, even if she was sure this image could not ANSWER back.

"Hello, Emily." Athena's spirit answered back.

Emily blinked, did that really happen, she sat up in her bed, slightly alarmed. "A-Athena...?"

"Yes, Emily, it's me." Athena's spirit said.

Emily smiled even more sadly. "Oh, my gosh... I... I... I just miss you so much... I'm happy with Patrick and our kids... But I miss you... You're my sister... My BEST FRIEND..."

"I know and I shall always be with you and can visit you whenever I want and whenever you want." Athena's spirit said.

Emily blinked and smiled. "Do you know how to materialize yourself?" she asked. "Y-You know... Become like flesh and bones...?" she asked, she had wanted to hug Athena after all these years without her.

"Yes and I do." Athena's spirit said, before touching her necklace around her own neck and where she became flesh and bone, not aging.

Emily sniffled as she hugged Athena for the first time since the death. Athena also had on a glittering aqua-colored dress with light purple leggings and black slip-on shoes. That must have been how she would look if she were a human. Emily parted the hug, wiping one of her eyes before a tear would come out.

"We all miss you," Emily sniffled. "I wish you could come back somehow."

"As long I have this necklace around my neck, I am back." Athena said.

"Really?" Emily sounded delighted. "H-Have you thought of maybe... I dunno... Living like a human?"

"Yes, but also as a mermaid, so why not live like both living here in the human world and then GO BACK into the ocean whenever I can." Athena said.

Emily smiled. 

Darla walked by her adoptive mother's room, she just heard that a teacher everyone liked in her school wouldn't be able to teach her in the year she would come back for classes in the fall and they were looking for replacements. She pouted with a sigh, she was looking forward to moving up a GRADE since she was supposed to have that teacher.

Emily could somehow sense this in her foster daughter, then looked to Athena. "Can I ask you a favor? How would you like to teach human children five days a week?"

"I would say or ask when do I start?" Athena asked.

"In the Fall," Emily answered with a smile. "I-If it's not too much trouble... You don't have to if you don't want to, I'd never make you do something you didn't want to do, Thena."

"It's no trouble at all, I would love to do it." Athena said.

Emily smiled. "Be sure to visit us whenever you can... I also think you should visit YOUR family when you can too. Triton hadn't been the same since you... Well... You know... He even banned music for 10 years."

"I know, I saw everything." Athena said.

"It was hard... But we made it..." Emily said softly. "You saw us... Travel back in time? I just wanted to see you, I missed you so much when Patrick decided we should go to the beach like a normal family."

"And I think that was a great decision to make." Athena sad.

Emily wiped her eyes. "It was great to see you AGAIN... You were a wonderful mother."

"And it was great to see you again." Athena said.

"I'm so SORRY I wasn't there the first time..." Emily nearly cried again.

"It's okay, what matters is that you were there the second time." Athena said soothingly to her sister.

Emily sniffled with a smile. "Yeah,... I'm so sorry, Athena..." 

THE CLOUDS parted with a light shining through as though it were a sign to take Athena back into the afterlife for now.

"It looks like I have to go for now." Athena said as she saw the sign.

"Oh... Okay..." Emily said softly. "See you around then?"

"See you around." Athena said as she went back to the afterlife.

Emily smiled sadly as she allowed her deceased sister to GO BACK where she belonged.

Jessica knocked on the door. "Mom, you okay?"

"I'm alright, dear." Emily ANSWERED, sounding a little better than she did before.

"Did you get anything from Atlantica?" Atticus asked her.

Emily nodded, she showed her children the shell trinket she was given.

Darla looked to the picture. "Is that you and Aunt Athena?"

"Yes, that's back in Mermaid Lagoon," Emily smiled with a small sigh. "Before we both decided to grow up, I of course decided to go on land while Athena wanted to stay under the sea."

Atticus could see that their mother was calmer then she was before.

"YOUR father was given a shark tooth necklace," Emily smiled. "Kind of like Adella's boyfriend, Stevie."

Jessica smiled, now she thought of Christopher and wondered if she would see him ever again.

Cherry was heard outside the Fudo house, everyone looked out the WINDOW to see her with an older boy no one really knew, she then looked up to them. "Hey, you guys got new neighbors!" she called up to them.

"Cool, we'll be right down!" Atticus called down to her.

"New neighbor." Darla smiled.

Emily smiled to her children. "Go ahead, maybe we could have them over for supper."

"Yeah." Atticus said.

The children all went down stairs to meet one of the MEMBERS of their new neighbors.


	22. Chapter 22

"Everyone, this is your new neighbor," Cherry introduced the familiar looking new boy. "His name's Christopher Anderson-Merchant."

The boy, Christopher, looked to Jessica with a smile. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh," Jessica blushed slightly. "Nice to meet you too, Christopher..."

Christopher winked at her, telling her that it was the same Christopher.

Jessica smiled with a blush. "I hope you love home-cooking, Mom's great it."

"Yeah, she really is." Darla added, smiling to him.

"Well then, I'll go and talk to my parents and see if we can come over for dinner then." Christopher said.

"Sounds lovely..." Jessica still blushed to him, smiling. 

"Looks like your boyfriend got to move into the neighborhood." Atticus whispered to his older sister.

Jessica blushed, gawking at him. "Yes, how fortunate..." she mumbled, embarrassed that he called Christopher her boyfriend.

"How romantic." Darla giggled, she then happily skipped inside to tell Patrick and Emily the news.

Atticus joined Darla to tell their parents. 

"Sure our new neighbors can come to dinner," Patrick smiled. "Mom's making a big dinner for us too."

"I thought it'd be nice after the little adventure we all had." Emily giggled as she slid off her oven mitts after putting a honey baked ham into the oven for her family.

"Yay!" Atticus and Darla cheered.

"It'll be ready in about 10 minutes." Emily smiled.

"Should be enough time for our new neighbors to be settled and come over." Patrick added.

"I know Christopher will love living next door." Darla couldn't help but tease Jessica, she never really got to have an older sibling to tease about these things before, whether she was in the orphanage or a child star.

"Darla!" Jessica glared at her adoptive sister.

Darla giggled, unable to contain herself.

"NOW, now, that's enough," Emily sorted her children out. "We'll all get along nicely, be nice to your sister, Atticus and Darla."

"Yeah, be nice to your sister, guys." Jessica repeated jokingly.

"Jessica?" Patrick scolded his oldest daughter.

"Oh, sorry, Dad..." Jessica said sheepishly.

Patrick chuckled, gently patting her on the head. "I suppose siblings always do this to one another."

"I know I did..." Emily murmured with a small smile, she remembered when she, Athena, and the other girls met Triton for the first time. "Let's get dinner sorted." she said, so they could all sit down, eat, and have fun.

"Yes, ma'am." Atticus said.

Cherry mentioned she was going out with her other friends tonight so had to miss dinner, but Christopher came and hung out with Jessica on the couch until dinner would be ready.

"How do you remember me?" Jessica had to ask. "I have to know..."

"Your beautiful eyes." Christopher said.

Jessica blushed, giggling a little. "Surely more than that... I'm not that pretty... People say I look like my mom though."

"That may be true, but it really was your eyes and you are wearing the necklace." Christopher said, pointing to Jessica's necklace.

Jessica blinked and put her hand on the necklace with a smile. "My cousin Ariel gave it to me."

"I'm the one that requested that she give it to you." Christopher said.

Jessica blinked. "R-Really...?"

"Really." Christopher said.

Jessica's eyes twinkled as his did the same. They were about to share a kiss until they were called to dinner.

"Coming!" Jessica yelled out, then looked to Christopher with a smile. "Let's go... Mom makes the best food."

"So I hear, I hope I get to sit next to you." Christopher said before he got up.

Jessica smiled, leading him in.

Emily served everyone, helping them with their dinner, she got sparkling apple cider for everyone to drink. "I hope you all enjoy... I know most of you will."

Patrick thought of something as he raised his glass, making the others do the same. "To Athena."

"To Athena." they all said in response, clinking their glasses and taking a drink before they started to eat.

They all then took a sip of the apple cider. "And welcome to the neighborhood." Emily smiled to Christopher and his parents. She then cut the ham, ready for seconds. 

Jessica smiled to Christopher, Darla smiled to her family, and this would be a summer vacation neither of them would forget.

The End


End file.
